On Sunday, President Donald J. Trump used golf to woo a member of the more conservative Freedom Caucus into seeing things his way and to try to forge an understanding on moving forward on important matters like ObamaCare reform.
Invitee Sen. Rand Paul Tweeted: “I had a great time today with @realDonaldTrump and believe we are getting closer to an agreement on health care!”
Sen. Paul and White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney played golf at Trump National Golf Club in nearby Virginia to discuss such matters.
Hopefully, it is “an art of a deal” in the making.
There have been rancorous campaigning and debates on issues between Rand Paul and President Trump, but when wealthy WASPs meet to play golf, they are suddenly reminded that much more unites than divides them.
Trump is realizing that success in business does not translate into governing in Washington. Washington is a different world of archaic and illogical structures, egos (not just his), and entrenched bureaucrats. Trump is having a hard time “draining the swamp.” But he is serious about it.
Golf has long been the "sport" of the rich and famous. Obama played a lot of golf, but rarely for business. Politicians, government bureaucrats, executives and retired lawyers, in their latter years, usually play golf.
Obama, the first black president, did famously play with Speaker of the House John Boehner when they were having their differences. And they did gamble some. They ran up $19 trillion in gambling debts on the golf course, but true to form, laughed as they left the bill for some younger golfers behind them to pay.
Hopefully, as he retires we can also retire Obamacare, and Obama will now be able to play more golf.
Paul, an ophthalmologist and Tea Party darling, has his own Obamacare replacement plan. He and other conservatives feel Trump’s bill did not go far enough; they want to fully repeal and replace the 2010 plan.
Paul's plan does more to spark competition and he thinks it is a better plan. He should know — he’s a doctor.
Rand’s dad was an MD too. Dr. Ron Paul was a gynecologist and kept trying to retire to become the leading libertarian in Congress.
It will be interesting to see if anything will happen in the wake of the match. It will probably be like watching golf itself: You rather expect something exciting to happen, so you watch. And it never does.
Ron Hart, a libertarian op-ed humorist and award-winning author, is a frequent guest on CNN. Contact him at Ron@RonaldHart.com or @RonaldHart on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Trump’s golf summit more than a match