Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

As we reach the end of another year, it helps to look back on what happened in 2025.

For me, that requires too much effort, so I rely this time on PEW Research, which published an e-mail on trends in the United States in 2025.

By the way, just think about this:  It was more than 25 years ago that everyone was concerned about the effect of turning 1999 into 2000.  What affect would the new year with a “2” in front of three other digits have on, say, computers? 

Well, without much dislocation then, we made it into the 2000s, so now I include PEW’s look back.

1.  After more than 50 years of rapid growth, the number of immigrants living in the U.S. is on the decline.  Between January and June 2025, the nation’s immigrant population fell by more than 1 million.
 

2.  Views of the U.S. have worsened – and views of China have improved – across many of the 10 high-income countries we surveyed this year.  A median of 35 per cent of adults in these countries have a favorable opinion of the U.S., while 32 per cent feel favorably toward China.  These shares are the closest they’ve been since 2018.
 

3.  Seven-in-ten Americans now say the nation’s higher education system is generally going in the wrong direction, up from 56 per cent in 2020.  Colleges and universities receive poor marks in areas like affordability and preparing students for well-paying jobs.
 

4.  Americans have grown more critical of the widespread legalization of sports betting. This is especially the case among young men: Close to half say legal sports betting is a bad thing for society, up from 22 per cent in 2022.
 

5.  Around seven-in-ten Americans say Donald Trump is trying to exert more power than his predecessors.  Most of those who say this view it as a bad thing for the country.
 

6.  A majority of parents with a child under 2 years old say their child watches videos on YouTube, up from 45 per cent in 2020. This includes 35 per cent who say their child watches YouTube daily.
 

7.  Google users who encounter an AI Overview are about half as likely as other users to click on search results.  In our study, those who landed on a Google search page with an AI summary clicked on a search result 8 per cent of the time. Those who did not see a summary clicked on a search result 15 per cent of the time.
 

8.  Republicans have become much less likely to say healthy children should be required to get the MMR vaccine to attend public school. The percentage of Republicans who hold this view has fallen from 79 per cent in 2019 to 52 per cent this year.
 

9.  Partisans differ especially sharply in how much they trust Fox News and CNN.  For instance, 56 per cent of Republicans say they trust Fox News, while 64 per cent of Democrats say they distrust it.  The pattern is reversed for CNN.
 

10.  For the first time in nearly two decades of surveys, most Hispanics say their group’s situation in the country has worsened over the past year. About seven-in-ten Hispanic adults now express this view, up sharply from 26 per cent in 2021 and 39 per cent in 2019.

11.  Sub-Saharan Africa is now home to more Christians than any other world region:  About 31 per cent of the global Christian population lives there, surpassing Europe’s 22 per cent.  While Christianity remains the world’s largest religion, Islam was the fastest-growing religion between 2010 and 2020, among the seven major groups we study.
 

12.  Americans are far more pessimistic than optimistic about the effect AI will have on human creativity and connection.  About half say AI will worsen people’s ability to think creatively, and same proportion say it will worsen people’s ability to form meaningful relationships with others.

To conclude, I agree with columnist George Will, who wrote this in the Washington Post:

“As 2025 slinks offstage, at least that’s something to cheer about.  Farewell to a year that brought the Cracker Barrel brouhaha, the DOGE dud, and the Gulf of America.”

But, for me, beyond PEW and George Will, I also relish the time spent in the last year with family and friends.  I am fortunate to have both as 2026 begins, with whatever the new year holds.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

As I write this on Christmas Day 2025, I reflect on another great evening last night when, with friends, we attended a Christmas Eve service at our church here in Salem, Oregon.

The service always ends with singing the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah.

As tradition goes, persons from the audience are asked to come to the platform to sing the chorus if they know how to read music and have sung the chorus before.

It’s good that I sit in my chair because I cannot sing as lick.

So, I prepare to listen and, then as the choir start singing, I join all others in the audience to stand up.  That’s what you do when the Messiah is sung and played.

If I happen to play the music while driving in my car, of course I cannot stand up, but I do so in my head because that’s what the chorus deserves – a standing ovation.

Here are the words from the chorus:

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah


For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

(For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth)

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth

(Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah)

Hallelujah


The kingdom of this world;

is become the kingdom of our Lord,

and of His Christ

and of His Christ

And He shall reign forever and ever

And he shall reign forever and ever

And he shall reign forever and ever

And he shall reign forever and ever


King of kings forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah

and Lord of lords forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah

King of kings forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah

and Lord of lords forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah

King of kings forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah

and Lord of lords

King of kings and Lord of lords


And he shall reign

And he shall reign

And he shall reign

He shall reign

And he shall reign forever and ever

King of kings forever and ever

and Lord of lords hallelujah hallelujah

And he shall reign forever and ever

King of kings and Lord of lords

King of kings and Lord of lords

And he shall reign forever and ever

Forever and ever and ever and ever

(King of kings and Lord of lords)

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

Hallelujah

Okay, it’s better to hear the chorus than to read the lyrics.  But, if you persevere, as you read the words, they can draw you closer to Christ.

And that’s one of the basic purposes of Christmas, which commemorates the birth of the Christ-child.

So, on this Christmas day, read the words again remember the “real reason for the season.”

Accept the free gift of salvation.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

When I  wonder whether to write something on Christmas – or what to write — my thoughts often go to the words of great hymns.

That’s good – thoughts.  Not singing because I am not able to carry a tune.

But, it is good to focuse on the words when they underline the real reason for the season – Christ’s birth which started our way to gain salvation through Him.

By the way, I am writing this, not on Christmas day, but rather on December 23, which is the day my wife and I will be having Christmas with our family here in Salem, Oregon.

So here goes on hymns.

One of the best ones is “O HOLY NIGHT.” 

Here the great lyrics that, when we listen to or hear them can draw us to Christ.

O Holy night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
‘Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
O night, O Holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the Wise Men from Orient land
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend
He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is Peace
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother
And in His name, all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us Praise His Holy name
Christ is the Lord; O praise His name forever!
His power and glory evermore proclaim
His power and glory evermore proclaim

So, focus on these words.  And, if other hymn words draw you, focus on those, too.

And enjoy the reality that Christ came to earth, was born as a baby in manager, taught for about 30 years, then died a grotesque death, but rose from the dead three days later.

That provides salvation for anyone – yes, anyone – who will accept the free gift!

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

What is the definition of power in politics?

For me, that question has come up in two ways in the last couple days.

1. In one case, a writer for the Washington Post suggested that Donald Trump is losing power as president because “he is now a lame duck.”

Sounds a bit early for me, but it is becoming clear that Trump is not as powerful as he once was — or at least thought he was.

• The other case arose in a column called Capitol Chatter written by the former editorial page editor of the Salem Statesman-Journal, Dick Hughes.

He questioned whether politicians in Oregon, including Governor Tina Kotek thought they had enough power – call it “staying power” — to pull off their announced bids to improve the state’s economy.

For Kotek, that is critical as she runs for re-election.

One of her opponents on the Republican side is Christine Drazan, now an Oregon senator, who lost to Kotek last time around.

On the general subject of political power, columnist Frank Bruni, writing in the New York Times, said this:

“The first year of Trump’s return to the White House has shown or reminded us of many things, including the fragility of democracy, the prevalence of cowardice and the intensity of tribalism. But it has been an especially stark and galling education in the intoxication of power.”

As an example of “intoxication,” Bruni cited Trump chief of staff Susie Wiles, who allowed herself to be interviewed 11 times by a reporter for Vanity Fair.  In the story, she came across as incredibly honest about the faults of Trump and those around him such as Russell Vought, Kash Patel, and Pete Hegseth, all in jobs beyond their abilities as they seek “power.”

So far, Wiles appears to have survived her more-than-candid criticisms of Trump and his band of power-seekers.  But, even as someone who tries to stay out of the political limelight in Washington, D.C., this time it appears she couldn’t resist the approach to emphasize her power.

Back to Capitol Chatter.  In his column, Hughes described how Oregon governor candidates Kotek and Drazan have framed their candidacies

:

• In a press release, Kotek proclaimed, “The choice is between a governor who will stand up for Oregon and protect what we believe in, or a governor who will let Donald Trump do whatever he wants.” 

• An hour later, Drazan responded in her own press release:  “Tina is all talk and no results.  She wants Oregonians to believe this race is about Washington, D.C., when it’s really about our home.” 

It is possible that former Portland Trailblazer center Chris Dudley, another Republican, also could make the race, though he has been out of politics since he lost to Democrat John Kitzhaber a few years ago.  Some of my sources say Dudley will not run; other say he will.  So, at the moment, no one knows for sure.

One challenge for Kotek is that she will be on the ballot at the same time as an initiative to try to overturn the Legislature’s decision, with Kotek’s support, to approve higher transportation taxes to fix Oregon roads.

It appeared to be relatively easy for Republican leaders in the Legislature to gain signatures to get the issue to the ballot, even without major money to pay for signature collection.  They lost in the Legislature; they now want to win at the ballot. 

Some recent polls suggest that many Oregonians are not ready for higher taxes, so Kotek will have to explain on the campaign trail why she wants them.  And that’s why the question emerges about whether she has the “staying power” to win at the ballot, either for herself as a candidate or for the tax increases.

In this blog, I am not expressing favoritism for any candidate.  For one thing, it is far too early to do so.  For another, I want to listen to the debate in the next year before landing some place.

For you, I wish the same, even as we wonder about power in politics.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

Anyone who knows me knows that I like words.

Better than numbers, charts, graphs, and even photos.

So it is that I enjoy reading columns by Frank Bruni, who writes for the New York Times.  He likes words, too, and uses them well.

A recent column from Bruni said this:

“In The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Philip Martin praised the writer Walter Isaacson’s depictions of the authors of the Declaration of Independence in his new book, ‘The Greatest Sentence Ever Written,’ about the document’s opening words:

“He doesn’t carve them into monuments.  He lets them breathe as men at work, leaning over a draft, arguing about commas, listening for cadence.  You can feel their hope that a sentence might do what armies could not:  Define a people by the rhythm of a thought.  That faith in language, more than any creed, is the American religion:  The belief that words, if built well, can hold our contradictions long enough for us to grow into them.”

Note the phrase, “listening for cadence.” 

When I have a chance, that’s what I like to do – listening for how words flow together, as Bruni would say, “in cadence.”

At the end of all Bruni’s columns, he quotes good words that his followers have sent him from around the country – quotes in various newspapers.

The fact is, Bruni says, good words can help us surmount our disagreements, or least understand our differences better.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

As I followed news over the last couple days, I almost decided to write a blog building on this headline – “the petty, hollow, squalid person, Trump.”

Then, Bret Stephens, writing in the New York Times, performed a service for me when he wrote:

“Though I tend to think it’s usually a waste of space to devote a column to President Trump’s personality — what more is there to say about the character of this petty, hollow, squalid, overstuffed man? — sometimes the point bears stressing:  We are led by the most loathsome human being ever to occupy the White House.”

Stephens wrote following a new low for Trump.  He refused to provide solid, statesmanlike language to mourn the passing of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele.  Instead, as you will see below, Trump turned the tragedy into an incredibly acrid social media post about himself.

Remember, to Trump, the epitome of a narcissist, everything is always about him.

If you read what Trump wrote, I don’t mind if you throw up.

“A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS.

“He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before.”

Stephens writes this conclusion:

“I quote Trump’s post in full not only because it must be read to be believed, but also because it captures the combination of preposterous grandiosity, obsessive self-regard and gratuitous spite that ‘deranged’ the Reiners and so many other Americans trying to hold on to a sense of national decency.

“Good people and good nations do not stomp on the grief of others. Politics is meant to end at the graveside.  That’s not just some social nicety. It’s a foundational taboo that any civilized society must enforce to prevent transient personal differences from becoming generational blood feuds.”

I’ll give Atlantic Magazine the last word.

“Looking for a considered meaning in Trump’s words might be a wild-goose chase, though.  The simplest reason Trump posted this is the same reason he posts anything:  The man cannot resist making everything about himself, even if it’s the heartbreaking murder of a beloved artist in an alleged domestic dispute.”

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

I quoted Hew York Times columnist Frank Bruni in my most recent blog, mentioning that an international soccer organization had given Donald Trump a piece prize…which, of course, he didn’t deserve.

Then, after the post, I ran across the following quote as an addendum to Bruni’s column.

“In her newsletter, Joanne Carducci scoffed at the peace prize that FIFA, the international soccer organization, awarded Trump:  ‘It’s a participation trophy for geopolitical corruption.  It’s so stupid it makes my remaining sanity stand up, politely excuse itself, and dive headfirst into oncoming traffic.’”

Well said!

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

Whenever Donald Trump talks, you have to believe one of two things:

• Either he is exaggerating.

• Or, he is telling outright lies.

Consider his claims about winning wars and producing peace.

None is true.

He was not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year, though he campaigned openly for it.  Instead, Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, took home the award.

Of course, that made Trump mad.

So, the international soccer association – yes, soccer – which is called FIFA, awarded the inaugural “FIFA Peace Prize” to Trump.

I say, let soccer be soccer without attaching it so directly to politics.

Where are Trump’s peacemaker claims coming from?

The Washington Post provides the answer.

“Trump claims he has ‘solved’ eight conflicts since taking office in January.

• A peace agreement between Congo and Rwanda.

• The Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

• The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

• Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo.

• Tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia.

• A military confrontation between India and Pakistan.

• A border skirmish between Thailand and Cambodia.

• Fighting between Israel and Iran.”

The trouble with this list is that “solutions” claimed by Trump are not true.  Fighting continues in all cases.

So, don’t give Trump any peace prizes.

He doesn’t deserve them, either overseas or at home.

To conclude, I recite a column in the New York Times by Frank Bruni where he excoriates Trump for giving himself nothing by passing grades as he exalts – no surprise here – himself.

Consider this case.

In an interview last week with Dasha Burns from Politico, Trump was asked to grade his stewardship of the economy on his watch.

“’A-plus,’ he said.

“’A-plus?’ she said back to him, as if maybe she hadn’t heard him right, as if such flamboyant boasting were still a shock, as if she were clinging idealistically to the idea that a president of the United States could not travel quite this many light-years away from reality, as if the past decade of American history hadn’t happened.

“’Yeah,’ Trump responded.

“But then, upon further consideration, he realized that he’d been unduly self-effacing.  So, he re-wrote his report card.

“’A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus,’ Trump said.  

Bruni adds:  “That’s five pluses, for those of you too non-plussed to pause and count.  I assume he stopped there only because he was winded.   He’s not the cyclone of energy he used to be.  He’s more an erratic breeze.

“And he has decided to answer to one kind of inflation with another. You think 4.0 grade point averages are too common at the elite universities that he supposedly deplores?  They wouldn’t even land you on the dean’s list in the Trump administration, where the windbags in the West Wing, the showboats in the cabinet and the blowhard in chief are constantly gilding their self-determined A’s with self-indulgent pluses atop pluses.”

That last paragraph from Bruni says it all – so I’ll let him have the last word on Trump, the blowhard…in peacekeeping (no) and in the economy (also, no).

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

And, this note:  I have been away from this blog for a time, but, alas, I like to write, even if not well on certain occasions, so here goes again.

I have reached the end of two terms as an Oregon Government Ethics commissioner because there is not more room for me to serve beyond eight years.

Let me say this:  So be it.  Eight is enough. 

And, for me, all the years have been good ones.  Not perfect, for nothing in government is perfect, but good.

Along the way in my eight-year tenure, I have firmly believed that no one should set out to dominate a government institution such as the Ethics Commission.

I never set out to do so.  It is time for someone to take my place – and I know nothing will be lost in the transition.

But, as I come to the end of my tenure, three major thoughts stick out:

1. First, when I was asked by Governor Kate Brown to serve in this role several years ago, it didn’t take long for me to say “yes.”  I thought it was a high calling to be part of an effort to promote ethics awareness and conduct in government in Oregon.  My eight years lived up to those early aspirations. 

• Second, when I began serving, I suspected then what has been true for eight years — supporting ethical conduct in Oregon government is not a “one person does it all” effort.  As a commissioner, I always was part of a team – all members of the Commission, all staff members, and all Oregonians who watched and supported our work.

• And, third, the nine commissioners during my tenure have come from different backgrounds, not to mention different political affiliations.  On that latter point, let me say that I have never known for sure the political affiliations of any of my colleagues.  Nor did I ask.

What’s more important is that politics never entered directly into our discussions or decisions — and that’s a good thing in Oregon.

So, as I step aside, my challenge for the Commission is to continue all it can do to support ethics in government in a bi-partisan, fact-based, and even-handed all fashion. 

I’ll be rooting for the Commission from the cheap seats in Salem, including, often, in my golf cart.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

The best answer to this blog headline is:  Perhaps.

Woods was one of the best, if THE best, pro golfers of all time.  For my part, I give THE best nod to Jack Nicklaus, but a vote among many of us who love golf could go either way.

So, Sheffler and Woods?

Perhaps too early, however good Scheffler is playing.

But, Scheffler continues to amaze with his amazingly solid play, including his win last weekend in the BMW Tournament, the next-to-the-last-stop in pro golf’s season.

He’ll defend later this week in the Tour Championship in Atlanta, which he won last year.

Beyond his great play, what resides inside his mind was on display recently in Europe where he played in the British Open – pardon me, The Open.

He displayed his depth in a press conference when he unburdened himself about the often-fleeting images of golf success.

A story in GolfWeek magazine, put it this way:

• He questioned the purpose of relentlessly pursuing victory, despite acknowledging the joy of accomplishment.
• He emphasized his faith and the importance of not letting golf define his identity.
• He admitted to struggling with the constant pressure and the unsatisfying nature of fleeting victories.

According to GolfWeek:

“’You work your whole life to celebrate winning a tournament for like a few minutes.  It only lasts a few minutes, that kind of euphoric feeling.  To win the Byron Nelson Championship at home, I literally worked my entire life to become good at golf, to have an opportunity to win that tournament.

“’You win it, you celebrate, get to hug my family, my sister’s there, it’s such an amazing moment.  Then it’s like, what are we going to eat for dinner?  Life goes on.”

So, too, did Scheffler’s answer.  He was only getting started.

“Is it great to be able to win tournaments and to accomplish the things I have in the game of golf?  Yeah, it brings tears to my eyes just to think about, because I’ve literally worked my entire life to be good at this sport.

“To have that kind of sense of accomplishment, I think, is a pretty cool feeling. To get to live out your dreams is very special, but at the end of the day, I’m not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers. I’m not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world because what’s the point?

“This is not a fulfilling life.  It’s fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it’s not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.  There’s a lot of people that make it to what they thought was going to fulfill them in life, and you get there, you get to No. 1 in the world, and they’re like, what’s the point?

“I really do believe that, because what is the point? Why do I want to win this tournament so bad?

“That’s something that I wrestle with on a daily basis.  It’s like showing up at the Masters every year; it’s like why do I want to win this golf tournament so badly?  Why do I want to win The Open Championship so badly?  I don’t know because, if I win, it’s going to be awesome for two minutes.

“Then we’re going to get to the next week, hey, you won two majors this year; how important is it for you to win the FedEx Cup playoffs?  And we’re back here again. So, we really do; we work so hard for such little moments.  I’m kind of a sicko; I love putting in the work.  I love getting to practice.  I love getting to live out my dreams.  But at the end of the day, sometimes I just don’t understand the point.”

Scheffler calls it a daily struggle to avoid making golf define him.  He oranizes his life in such a way so that, when he leaves the golf course, he doesn’t bring golf home with him.  This wasn’t the first time he shared the anxiety he’s experienced heading into the final round at the Masters when he won.  

Ahead of the 2023 Masters, when his wife was pregnant and back home in Dallas, Scheffler recounted the advice one of his buddies who was staying at his rental house gave him.

“I wish I didn’t want to win as much as I do.  I wish it didn’t matter this much to me.   I wish I didn’t care as much about the result and could just go out and play and enjoy it,” Scheffler said on The Bible Caddie podcast. “My buddy said, ‘Well, your victory is secure on the cross and that’s really all you need to know.’  I was like, OK, that’s a good line. I’m going to think about that.”

Scheffler prioritizes time in the morning to read scripture, noting Numbers 24-26 as a particular passage of scripture that he reads from a devotional book on his iPad.  He listens to music with Christian themes such as Need to Breathe and is strong in his faith without coming across to the masses as a Bible thumper.

More from GolfWeek:

“’It’s super rare in sports to see the top of the top, who are the best at their sport, faithfully walk with golf,’ said Webb Simpson, a past U.S. Open champion, on the podcast that he co-hosts to Scheffler.  ‘A lot of young listeners, high school guys or even college kids around us, they are fearful that if they walk with the Lord they’re going to lose their competitive edge.

“’Somehow, somebody thought a long time ago that because you’re a Christian means you’re a soft competitor.  But you embody a faithful man of God who is a fierce competitor.’” 

To that notion, Scheffler gives a telling answer:

“I feel like God kind of created me with a little bit of extra competitiveness. Since I was a kid, whatever we were doing, I always wanted to be the best at that thing.” 

He continued:

“I feel like we’re called to go out to use our talent for God’s glory and in my head it feels like being an extremely competitive person going out there and fighting and trying to do our best and then taking our hats off and shaking hands and being done at the end of the day.”

There.  That illustrates why Scheffler has become my favorite golfer.  He is not just golfer.  He is a man, a family man, and a lover of God.