NEW INDICTMENT PROVES TRUMP NEVER LEARNED THE FIRST LESSON OF WATERGATE

This 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.

Remember the old phrase – if you are in trouble in a hole, stop digging?

Well, Donald Trump forgot it.

And, all the recent Trump episodes recall arguably the worst criminal proceeding in the United States – Watergate.  Ask Trump, and he no doubt would be proud of the comparison.

Washington Post Associate Editor Ruth Marcus wrote this in a new column:

“The allegations in the latest indictment of Donald Trump hold up, the former president is a common criminal — and an uncommonly stupid one.

“Everyone knows, as the Watergate scandal drove home:  The cover-up is always worse than the crime.  Everyone, that is, but Trump.”

More from Marcus:

“According to the superseding indictment handed up late Thursday, even after Trump knew the FBI was onto his improper retention of classified information, and even after he knew they were seeking security camera footage from the Mar-a-Lago storage areas where the material was kept — in other words, when any reasonably adept criminal would have known to stop digging holes — Trump made matters infinitely worse.

“The alleged conduct — yes, even after all these years of watching Trump flagrantly flout norms — is nothing short of jaw-dropping:  Trump allegedly conspired with others to destroy evidence.”

Marcus reports that, as “set out in the indictment’s relentlessly damning timeline, Trump enlisted his personal aide, Waltine Nauta, and a Mar-a-Lago worker, Carlos De Oliveira, in a conspiracy to delete the subpoenaed footage.”

“But this,” she adds, “— the alleged conspiracy to destroy the security footage — is the epitome of obstruction, stunning in its brazenness.

“There is an argument, depressing but not unreasonable, that none of this matters, legally or in the court of public opinion.  The unlawful retention of documents and obstruction case against Trump appeared strong when they were first made public more than a month ago.  And the new Mar-a-Lago charges are unrelated to the impending indictment of Trump for his efforts to undo the results of the 2020 election.”

Some Americans insist on seeing Trump as the beleaguered victim of partisan prosecutors. 

Marcus concludes:

“…drip by drip, count by count, obstructive act by obstructive act, the seriousness of this situation comes into focus, the stakes of the next election become clearer.  Trump in office was willing to do whatever it took to remain in power. T rump out of office was willing to do whatever it took to keep ;my boxes.’  One demonstration of narcissistic entitlement bolsters the other and deepens the urgency of holding this man to account, once and for all, and for all that he has done.”

I believe there are at least two ways to make Trump account for his gross misdeeds.

One is for the courts to hold him accountable. 

The other is for Trump to lose the election, if, in fact, he becomes the Republican nominee.

With penalties for crimes and another election loss, perhaps he’ll go away.  Or, if not, perhaps he’ll keep digging until the hole is too deep to escape.

IT’S A SMALL WORLD!

This 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.

No, I am not taking you to Disneyland to hear that famous song, “It’s A Small World After All.”

I am just reporting what happened the other day when my wife and I were in Oliver, British Columbia, Canada, to watch a girls’ golf tournament, including a team from Oregon.

So, on the first day of the tournament, I was walking along with a woman from Wyoming.  Her daughter was in the same group as the girls from Oregon.

We greeted each other and I learned this:

We grew up about 15 blocks from each other in Portland, Oregon and she attended Madison High School, as I did.

Of course, the fact is that I was quite a few years ahead of her at Madison.

But think of the odds:  We drove eight hours from Oregon to watch the tournament and she flew in from Wyoming.

Small world.

IT’S PRONOUNCED “INCA-MEEP”

This 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 write this headline because my wife and I are up here in Oliver, British Columbia, to watch the 2023 version of the Girls Junior America’s Cup golf tournament.

And the site is a First Nation (that’s how you say Native American in Canada) golf course, which goes by this name – Nk’Mip.

So, pronunciation matters — and we have learned that it is “Inca-Meep.”

While here, you must pronounce names right just as you do if you are in Oregon – it’s not Ory-Gun, and, in the Willamette Valley, it’s not Will-a-Mette.

As for girls junior golf here, there have been two rounds so far, with one to go.  Oregon’s junior girls team stands in 9^th place after Wednesday, not bad out of 18 teams from the Western states, Canada, and Mexico.

And, the good news so far after round one:  Oregon’s Natalie Yen shot a great round – 69, three-under par – to share the individual lead after the first day.  She followed that up with an even par 72 and stands atop the leaderboard by three strokes.  Plus, each of Oregon’s other three players beat their first round scores.

We came here to watch how the tournament is run because it is Oregon’s turn to serve as host in 2026 and I also am glad to say that my home course, Illahe Hills Golf and Country Club, has agreed to serve as host course.

It will be great fun to showcase Illahe to the world in 2026 – or, at least, to part of the world.

Speaking of the world, this annual tournament involves teams from 16 Western states (including multiple teams from California), and two countries – Canada and Mexico.  So, in all, there are about 75 players, along with captains and co-captains for each team.

Here’s a quick summary of the history of the event off the Girls Junior America’s website.  It dates to 1978.

“In addition to founding the Washington Junior Golf Association in 1977, Joan Teats also founded the Girls Junior Americas Cup (GJAC) in 1978.  The boys enjoyed a version of this tournament for many years, and being “all about the girls,” Joan decided it was time to create a similar tournament where girls could showcase their team talents for college coaches.  

“Charter members of the GJAC tournament:  Northern California, San Diego, British Columbia, Southern California, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Southern Nevada, Idaho, Alberta, and Northern Nevada.  GJAC has grown since then to 18 teams, all located in the Western part of the US, Canada and Mexico.”

Some impressions of this year’s event at Nk’Mip so far:

• The tournament itself appears to be well run, with only one deficit I have seen so far – the on-line information is sketchy at best, not to mention hard to find, so I may ask my grandchildren for help.

• On-line access is an issue for family members of the girls who are playing since families rarely travel to tournament sites.  They will have to scramble to find overall results.

• I also learned something new – families are encouraged not, yes NOT, to attend the tournament.  That is so, I was told, to enable the players to focus on golf, not relating to families in the gallery.

• Still, at this event, there are family members on-site, including a number who have flown to Canada.

• The event, overall, is treated a bit like the Ryder Cup, though that comparison is a stretch.  There is a procession to open the event as teams march in while introductions, name-by-name, are announced. Then, the teams listen to welcoming speeches, which, mercifully, were brief this time around.

• Because the event this year is on a First Nation golf course, there was an early emphasis on singing and dancing by First Nation representatives – and I thought it was exactly appropriate as a way to herald First Nation heritage here in Canada.

• As you drive into the course, you see flags from all states and provinces displayed on the road.  The captain from the State of Washington – this, she said, is the only tournament at which she volunteers all year – said the entry always sparks emotion for her.  Just seeing all the flags will do that to anyone who cares.

• The local head golf pro here made a solid set of remarks in the opening ceremony.  My paraphrase takeaway  – “Remember these days, players.  This could very well be a highlight for you during your life as you recall good golf and solid friendships.”

Good points.  The emphasis on creating something memorable goes for all of us.

IT’S PROUNCED “INCA-MEEP”

This 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 write this headline because my wife and I are up here in Oliver, British Columbia, to watch the 2023 version of the Girls Junior America’s Cup golf tournament.

And the site is a First Nation (that’s how you say Native American in Canada) golf course, which goes by this name – Nk’Mip.

So, pronunciation matters — and we have learned that it is “Inca-Meep.”

While here, you must pronounce names right just as you do if you are in Oregon – it’s not Ory-Gun, and, in the Willamette Valley, it’s not Will-a-Mette.

As for girls junior golf here, there have been two rounds so far, with one to go.  Oregon’s junior girls team stands in 9^th place after Wednesday, not bad out of 18 teams from the Western states, Canada, and Mexico.

And, the good news so far after round one:  Oregon’s Natalie Yen shot a great round – 69, three-under par – to share the individual lead after the first day.  She followed that up with an even par 72 and stands atop the leaderboard by three strokes.  Plus, each of Oregon’s other three players beat their first round scores.

We came here to watch how the tournament is run because it is Oregon’s turn to serve as host in 2026 and I also am glad to say that my home course, Illahe Hills Golf and Country Club, has agreed to serve as host course.

It will be great fun to showcase Illahe to the world in 2026 – or, at least, to part of the world.

Speaking of the world, this annual tournament involves teams from 16 Western states (including multiple teams from California), and two countries – Canada and Mexico.  So, in all, there are about 75 players, along with captains and co-captains for each team.

Here’s a quick summary of the history of the event off the Girls Junior America’s website.  It dates to 1978.

“In addition to founding the Washington Junior Golf Association in 1977, Joan Teats also founded the Girls Junior Americas Cup (GJAC) in 1978.  The boys enjoyed a version of this tournament for many years, and being “all about the girls,” Joan decided it was time to create a similar tournament where girls could showcase their team talents for college coaches.  

“Charter members of the GJAC tournament:  Northern California, San Diego, British Columbia, Southern California, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Southern Nevada, Idaho, Alberta, and Northern Nevada.  GJAC has grown since then to 18 teams, all located in the Western part of the US, Canada and Mexico.”

Some impressions of this year’s event at Nk’Mip so far:

• The tournament itself appears to be well run, with only one deficit I have seen so far – the on-line information is sketchy at best, not to mention hard to find, so I may ask my grandchildren for help.

• On-line access is an issue for family members of the girls who are playing since families rarely travel to tournament sites.  They will have to scramble to find overall results.

• I also learned something new – families are encouraged not, yes NOT, to attend the tournament.  That is so, I was told, to enable the players to focus on golf, not relating to families in the gallery.

• Still, at this event, there are family members on-site, including a number who have flown to Canada.

• The event, overall, is treated a bit like the Ryder Cup, though that comparison is a stretch.  There is a procession to open the event as teams march in while introductions, name-by-name, are announced. Then, the teams listen to welcoming speeches, which, mercifully, were brief this time around.

• Because the event this year is on a First Nation golf course, there was an early emphasis on singing and dancing by First Nation representatives – and I thought it was exactly appropriate as a way to herald First Nation heritage here in Canada.

• As you drive into the course, you see flags from all states and provinces displayed on the road.  The captain from the State of Washington – this, she said, is the only tournament at which she volunteers all year – said the entry always sparks emotion for her.  Just seeing all the flags will do that to anyone who cares.

• The local head golf pro here made a solid set of remarks in the opening ceremony.  My paraphrase takeaway  – “Remember these days, players.  This could very well be a highlight for you during your life as you recall good golf and solid friendships.”

Good points.  The emphasis on creating something memorable goes for all of us.

TRUMP IS A REPUBLICAN NIGHTMARE

This 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.

Let me pose this basic question:  How can some of my friends continue to support a fraud for president even as they remain my friends.

The fraud is Donald Trump.  The friends somehow have bought into his lies.

But, even as Trump faces more trials in court, he continues to operate in the court of public opinion – and, often, he wins…or at least raises more political contribution money along the way.

In the New York Times, columnist Maureen Dowd put it this way:

“A man is running to run the government he tried to overthrow while he was running it, even as he is running to stay ahead of the law.

“That sounds loony, except in the topsy-turvy world of Donald Trump, where it has a grotesque logic.”

Trump is saying simply this, often in a voice that conveys his status as what he could call a victim:  I want to be president and, despite all of my so-called crimes, they don’t count – they are just the left going after me and you again. 

So, send me checks and vote for me.

Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin wrote about this:

“For years now, some Republicans — and, to a large extent, the mainstream media — have harbored the notion that the GOP eventually would come to its senses.  Surely, it would eventually dump the unhinged, disloyal, undemocratic, and unfit Donald Trump, right?

“But if Republicans did not wake from their slumber after the first impeachment or the second, after a jury decided he had lied about sexually assaulting E. Jean Carroll, after an indictment accusing him of obstruction and violating the Espionage Act (set out in shocking detail), and after replete evidence of his alleged role in an attempted coup, it is hard to imagine what would bring them to their senses.

“There is scant evidence that Trump would flee the race to focus on his legal defense; to the contrary, the worse his legal position, the more desperate he becomes to regain power.”

And he brings many with him.

Rubin says many elected Republicans and right-wing media figures have contributed to the predicament as they have minimized, rationalized, and denied jaw-dropping allegations against Trump.  

They have made it easy, she adds, for Republicans to cling to Trump.  “Listen, stealing and bandying about top-secret documents isn’t so bad, is it? And, after all, he didn’t do all that much on January 6, 2021, did he?

“Frankly, the mainstream media has made it that much easier for cowardly Republicans to stick with Trump.  Rather than challenge Republicans at every turn to defend their embrace of Trump or even to examine seriously the historical origins of toxic racist, xenophobic and delusional beliefs, the mainstream media largely sticks to horserace politics.”

Rubin writes that she – and we – cannot be sure that Trump’s many legal challenges will result in convictions before the presidential election.

The so-called E. Jean Carroll II trial is scheduled for January.  The Manhattan criminal trial is set for March, but even a conviction there might not move the GOP primary electorate.  The Mar-a-Lago documents case won’t begin before May.  And, all are subject to further delay.

Meanwhile, the GOP presidential primary will have gotten under way in January and will run through March.  Republicans might crown a presumptive winner by early May (as happened in 2016), even before the Mar-a-Lago trial concludes.

“The GOP,” Rubin continues, “could very well be saddled with a nominee who has been indicted multiple times and perhaps convicted more than once.  They would be betting that millions of voters who didn’t vote for him last time would vote for an indicted or possibly convicted nominee who spends most of his time railing about his plight.”

In keeping with one of my previous blogs, Democrat pollster Celinda Lake and documentary filmmaker Mac Heller recently wrote for The Post that “between Trump’s election in 2016 and the 2024 election, the number of Gen Z (born in the late 1990s and early 2010s) voters will have advanced by a net 52 million against older people.”

Put differently, the 2024 electorate will be younger and more Democrat — by a lot — than the electorate that chose Trump in 2016. Thus, the GOP will be pleading with a less Trump-friendly electorate to ignore his alleged crime spree and re-elect the January 6 instigator.

And, finally, this from Rubin:

“If it seems fantastical, even unimaginable, that a party would put itself in such a position, remember this is a party that obsesses over Hunter Biden, elevates to prominence Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, and still won’t admit that Joe Biden won the White House in 2020.  

“Maybe it’s time to acknowledge that, barring an epiphany, the GOP’s self-delusion is risking a political wipeout that will take out more than its disastrous nominee.  And it won’t be able to claim it wasn’t warned.”

Yes, but to repeat another my fond hopes, I wish both parties would find better candidates than Trump or Biden.

If that doesn’t happen, I’ll side with the latter even as I hope for others – or even a highly-qualified third-party candidate who could appeal to our better instincts of decency on the part of those who want to lead us.

WHAT I WILL REMEMBER FROM THIS YEAR’S BRITISH OPEN – ER – “THE” OPEN

This 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” Open is always one of my favorite golf events to watch on TV.

One reason is that the event showcases links-style courses in Europe and that often brings out the best in many golfers who are more accustomed to “parkland” golf courses in the United States.

Sometimes the event is won by a golfer who had not prevailed previously in the “majors.”

Such was the case last year when Shane Lowry won in his homeland.  And, such was the case this year when American journeyman Brian Harman took the Claret Jug by a whopping six shots.

His putter did the work for him.

But, there were a few other general perceptions for me in this year’s “Open” (and far be it from me to call it the “British Open,” thus riling up many Brits if I made this “mistake.”)

• The first is that, while he faltered on occasion, Harman rallied after every bogey, usually with a birdie.  Or, with a saving bar putt, such as on the last hole when he got up and down from a bunker.
• In the final round, starting with a six-shot lead, he never let that lead get down below three, thus avoiding a negative reputation of the sort European golfer Jean Van de Velde earned by throwing away the Open on his last hole at Carnoustie.
• And, then, how about Harman’s “waggles?”  Before hitting any shot, he waggled, often excessively.  Like others, I even began to count the waggles, sometimes getting up as high as 12.
• Waggling became an issue in stories by several on-line golf publications, some going as far as to compare Harman to Sergio Garcia, who became famous – or not so famous – for being “Sergio-esque” when he couldn’t pull the trigger.  Or, Kevin Na when he had trouble bringing the club back.  Harman, waggles and all, had no such trouble.

So, when all is said and done, give Harman credit. 

I do.  His win sealed his reputation as a solid golfer and, perhaps, even earned him consideration to join United States’ Captain Zach Johnson’s team in the upcoming Ryder Cup in only a few weeks when selections will be made for America’s 12-man team.

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

This 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.

That old saying – “there is light at the end of the tunnel, but I don’t know if it is sunlight shining at end of the tunnel or an oncoming train” – comes to mind as I think about the next presidential election.

The light could be:

• That candidates other than President Joe Biden or former president Donald Trump will emerge, giving us better candidates.  That would be sunlight.
• That the train comes, running over all of us on the way toward Biden and Trump.  And that would be – obviously — getting run over.

Two authors in the New York Times wrote a column that could shed light – pardon the play on words – on the next election, positive light.

They are Celinda Lake and Mac Heller, the first a Democrat party strategist, and the second a political documentary producer.

Here is how their column started:

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“It’s easy to envision the 2024 presidential election becoming the third straight contest in which a veteran Democrat goes up against Donald Trump.  Once again, the Democrat wins the popular vote, but swing states are tighter.  Could go either way — and has, right?

“But things are very different this time, and here’s why:  The candidates might not be changing — but the electorate has.”

To buttress their point, Lake and Heller produced statistics to verify that voters are getting younger and more willing to consider important issues than just raw politics:

• Every year, about 4 million Americans turn 18 and gain the right to vote.  In the eight years between the 2016 and 2024 elections, that’s 32 million new eligible voters.
• Also every year, 2½ million older Americans die.  So, in the same eight years, that’s as many as 20 million fewer older voters.

Which means, the two authors say, that, between Trump’s election in 2016 and the 2024 election, the number of Gen Z (born in the late 1990s and early 2010s) voters will have advanced by a net 52 million against older people. That’s about 20 per cent of the total 2020 eligible electorate of 258 million Americans.

And, unlike previous generations, those in Gen Z usually vote.

Comparing the four federal elections since 2015 (when the first members of Gen Z turned 18) with the preceding nine (1998 to 2014), average turnout by young voters (defined here as voters under 30) in the Trump and post-Trump years has been 25 per cent higher than that of older generations at the same age before Trump — 8 per cent higher in presidential years and a whopping 46 per cent higher in midterms.

The two authors add that Trump is not necessarily the deciding factor for these young voters.

“When pollsters ask why, Gen Z voters say their motivation is not a party or a candidate.  It is, instead, strong passion on one or more issues — a much more policy-driven approach than the more partisan voting behavior of their elders.

“That policy-first approach, combined with the issues they care most about, have led young people in recent years to vote more frequently for Democrats and progressive policies than prior generations did when of similar age — as recent elections in Kansas, Michigan and Wisconsin have shown.”

American voters historically have tended somewhat to become more conservative as they age – and that includes me.

Other factors in the New York Times piece:

• About 48 per cent of Gen Z voters identify as a person of color, while the boomers they’re replacing in the electorate are 72 per cent White.
• Gen Z voters are on track to be the most educated group in our history, and the majority of college graduates are now female. Because voting participation correlates positively with education, expect women to speak with a bigger voice in our coming elections.
• Gen Z voters are much more likely to cite gender fluidity as a value, and they list racism among their greatest concerns.
• Further, they are the least religious generation in our history.

All of this doesn’t cut fully one or the other in terms of parties.  There are implications for both.

For Republicans, the message is obvious:  Listen to the voices of this soon-to-be-dominant group of voters as you formulate your policies on climate, abortion, guns, health care, inclusion, and everything else.

For Democrats:  Meet young voters where they are — on social media, not cable news.  Make your messages short, funny, and somehow sarcastic, yet authentic and earnest at the same time.  Your focus should be issues first, and parties never.

Could young voters embrace third-party candidates?

Perhaps and that is another major implication for both parties.

Past elections show that Gen Z voters shop for candidates longer and respond favorably to new faces and issue-oriented candidates.  They like combining their activism with their voting and don’t feel bound by party loyalty.

And this final point from the authors.

“We suspect both campaigns know most or all of what we have written here.  Habit may prevent them from acting on it, but they have these numbers.  In one of life’s great ironies, the group that doesn’t know it is young voters.  They think of themselves as ignored, powerless, and marginalized in favor of big money and shouting boomers.

“But over the next year, they’ll figure it out.  Gen Z may get tired of waiting for Washington to unite to solve problems, so could grab the national microphone and end up deciding the 2024 presidential race.”

Armed with all this political intelligence, if I was still a political strategist, I would consider it very carefully.  Then, I would design issue-oriented campaigns to appeal to voters regardless of party.

And, as a voter, I hope this works, for it would be part of enabling us to get away from the kinds of campaigns today that criticize anyone and everything without proposing any real-world solutions.

“SALEM FOR REFUGEES” PROVIDES LESSONS FOR ALL OF US

This 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.

Different skin color.

Different country of origin.

Different cultures.

Different garb.

All those features mark refugees who are coming to America to escape tumult in their home countries.

And, yes, some of them are coming to Salem and Keizer, Oregon.

To help with this issue, there is a great new program in Salem-Keizer – Salem for Refugees – which provides valuable lessons for all of us…if we take time to learn them.

I put it this way:  As the organization helps to locate refugees here, the rest of us have a great chance to show that we care about persons other than ourselves.

There are at least two reasons to do this:

• First, caring simply is the best the way mature citizens ought to act – to show respect for persons other than themselves.

• Second – and more importantly, to me – the number of new refugees in our community provides a way for Christians to show spiritual love for persons who are or could be children of God.  Refugees have the same access to God we do.

Still, there are trends in this country that decry “immigrants.”  In politics these days, fomented by Donald Trump and his ilk, immigrants have become the enemy.  Lock them up and throw away the key, Trump says. 

Or, at least, build a wall to the south so immigrants cannot enter this country.

I understand concerns over persons who try to enter this country illegally.  Leaders in Congress (if there are any), as well as in the Biden Administration, need to do more to stem that tide.  Not near enough has been done so far as political slogans get in the way of middle ground solutions.

But, those who are coming to Salem and Keizer are, to put a phrase on it, “legal refugees.”

The program I mentioned above — Salem for Refugees — started in 2016 at the church my wife and I attend here in Salem, Salem Alliance.  There were two other sponsors – Salem Leadership Foundation (SLF), and Catholic Community Services.

The refugee organization itself has grown enough now to be on its own, though with continuing support from the church, SLF, and Catholic Community Services.

Incredibly, since its start, Salem for Refugees has served more than 600 individuals, often in family groups, as they arrived in this country.  At one point, refugees coming to Oregon were directed mainly to Portland, but costs up there got out of hand, so Salem and other communities stepped up.

The list of home countries for refugees is incredible – Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Somalia, the Congo, Ivory Coast, Sudan, Ukraine, Venezuela, and others. 

Just stop and think about this reality for a moment. 

The displaced people probably don’t have much of the English language, nor do they know how to go about living in America.

Things are much different here than in their homeland or in a refugee camp.

Yet, they want a chance for a new life.  So, they need help.

When I explained all this to a group a couple weeks ago, I sensed a mixed reaction.  Some who heard me appeared to support the idea of helping refugees adjust to living here.  After all, some of them will be “your neighbors.”

But others appeared to wonder why support mattered.  It was as if the color of someone’s skin, the original home of refugees, and the different background of those persons supported the argument that leaving them to exist on their own was the best approach.

If this was true of some who heard me speak, it ignores this basic fact in this country:  We all are immigrants. 

Our forebears came from other countries to find a new home in America.  Mine came from Norway.

Now, as “new immigrants” arrive here, we should welcome them just as all of us were once welcomed.

A NEW, HIGH RANKING FOR ILLAHE HILLS GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB

This 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.

Am I biased when it comes to this story?

Yes.  Clearly.

I have had the privilege of being a member at Illahe Hills Golf and Country Club in Salem, Oregon, for more than 30 years.  I also live on the course, about three houses from the 1^st tee.

It is a privilege for me to be able to play Illahe as often as I do, which is nearly daily.

The high ranking mentioned in this blog headline comes from GolfWeek magazine.  Here is a text of the article:

Golfweek’s Best Private Courses 2023:  State-by-state rankings of private courses

By Jason Lusk

“Want to find the best private golf courses in each state?  You’re in the right spot, and welcome to Golfweek’s Best 2023 list of top private layouts as judged by our international panel of raters.

“The hundreds of members of that ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on 10 criteria on a points basis of 1 through 10. They also file a single, overall rating on each course.  Those overall ratings are averaged to produce these rankings.”

KEY: (m) modern, built in 1960 or after; (c) classic, built before 1960. For courses with a number preceding the (m) or (c), that is where the course ranks on Golfweek’s Best lists for top 200 modern and classic courses in the U.S.

* indicates new or returning to the rankings

1. Eugene CC
Eugene (T97m)

2. Pronghorn (Fazio)
Bend (T104m)

3. Waverley
Portland (T115c)

4. Pumpkin Ridge
(Witch Hollow)
North Plains (m)

5. Astoria*
Warrenton (c)

6. Columbia Edgewater
Portland (c)

7. Bend GC*
Bend (c)

8. Portland GC
Portland (c)

9. Illahe Hills*
Salem (m)

10. Broken Top Club*
Bend (m)

I take pride in this new listing, though, of course, I did not create it, nor did I have a hand in its creation.  It arises because, in their wisdom, those in charge of Illahe have allowed it to be open on occasion to non-members for tournaments and charity events.  Word then filters out about the quality of the course, including by those who rate it for magazines like GolfWeek.

There is often a very delicate balance here.  Allow the course to be open to non-members, but don’t overdo it, thus depriving members themselves from a chance to play “their” course.  All private golf courses walk this tightrope.

From a big-picture perspective, Illahe members enjoy almost unparalleled access.  Private courses to the north in and around Oregon’s largest city, Portland, have many more golf rounds per year than does Illahe.  So do courses to the south, including Eugene Golf and Country Club, which leads the GolfWeek list.

Willamette Valley Golf and Country Club, to the north, runs more than 40,000 rounds per year, making it tough for some members to book tee times.

 By contrast, Illahe’s annual rounds total about 18,000.

One point I make frequently about Illahe:  I have been a member for more than 30 years, but never – yes, never – do I get tired of playing the course.  It offers new challenges every time I tee it up on the 1^st hole.

Join me. 

CHARACTER USED TO MATTER IN AMERICAN POLITICS

This 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 headline on this blog captures a huge point in politics these days.

Character used to matter.  It may not matter at all these days.

Writing in the Wall Street Journal, essayist Joseph Epstein posted a column in this week.  It appeared under this sub-head:

“An insistence on decency in presidential candidates might be a start to restoring national political life to a respectable level.”

Excellent point.

Epstein continued:  “I admire my friends who no longer watch cable news. I doubtless take in too much of it, typically switching among the three main networks: Fox, CNN, and MSNBC.  I watch most of it with a book or magazine in my lap, but stories about the seemingly endless lawsuits against Donald Trump and accounts of the skullduggery of Hunter Biden and his father (“the Big Guy”) get my attention.”

Epstein is candid enough to admit that, from the standpoint of “decency,” he doesn’t like either President Joe Biden or Republican candidate Donald Trump.

“Trump, who comes across so bold, and Biden, who wishes to seem so sly, strike me as roughly equal in their depravity.  I think of the one as the Manchurian Cantaloupe and the other as the Old Gaffer.”

He adds that he wishes failure to both, so we – Americans – can consider candidates who practice and exude decency.

Epstein says each man has risen to the presidency thanks, mostly, to the unattractiveness of his electoral opponent.  

“Each man was elected as a lesser-evil choice, yet both have succeeded in vastly polluting the tone of our country’s political life.  Lesser-evil choices sometimes turn out to be evil enough.

“Low and seedy are the corruptions of which Messrs. Trump and Biden have been accused:  Molesting women, entering into dubious financial dealings with foreign corporations and governments, cavalierly mishandling important documents, and more.

“Yet, both men have been leaders of the free world, as the old saying had it, and both men want another go at it.  Worse yet, as things currently stand, one or the other is likely to be successful.  Little wonder that in most opinion polls a strong majority of Americans think the country is on the wrong track.”

Epstein wonders if there is any way to get what he calls “these two bozos” off the national stage? 

So far, neither political party seems ready or willing to do so.

“The party that prides itself on probity and family values is likely to be represented by a man found liable for sexual abuse, while the party that prides itself on fairness and social justice by a man whose son has allegedly siphoned off millions from the sale of political influence that he may have shared with his father.”

During their presidencies, Epstein remembers that George W. Bush and Barack Obama were at least able to elude financial and sexual scandal.  Say what you will about their decisions as president, both evidenced traits of character and decency.

I with for a return to such traits.  Decency matters.