Thursday, July 7, 2016

The "Normal Self" of Donald Trump


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Donald Trump reminds me of a drunk. 
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I grew up with a parent who was a binge drinker.
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My mom didn't drink everyday. But when she did, she drank all day and spent hours ranting and raving against everything and everyone she saw wrong in the world -- especially family members.
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But I told myself everything was okay because the next day, my mom would be back to her "normal self." One just had to get through the night with her.
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But, can we tell ourselves the same about Donald Trump?
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Admittedly, some drunks are fun.
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The lack of inhibition, the kind of "free flowing consciousness" and the honesty in just spewing off what one thinks in the moment can be refreshing and entertaining to some -- especially in an otherwise, highly controlled and politically correct world.  
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But is such lack of impulse control something we should seek in a President?
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Sometimes, those with drug problems are fun too.
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Back in my party days of the 70's and 80's, I had friends who were "Coke heads." They were great fun to be with at dance clubs and bars because they could literally party all night. (I personally didn't indulge in Cocaine because I figured two vices of alcohol and cigarettes were already enough. -- I didn't need to add a third.)
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But as much fun and boundless energy my coke friends were on a dance floor, they were extremely hard to follow in a conversation. I recall often sitting at circular tables in clubs and having no idea what the subject of conversation was about. Discussions flitted from one subject to the next with barely a second in between. As one who is not normally at loss for words, I was completely alone in left field during these gatherings. If I did think of something to contribute to a conversation, subject was already on to something else. In short, there was never any focus or depth. Conversations with "Coke Heads" were like July 4th fireworks -- quickly exploding and changing from one second to the next, one's only option was to sit back, smile and pretend to know what was going on.
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Donald Trump reminds me of that, too.
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Perhaps the problem is me. Perhaps I have no appreciation for "spontaneity," or I have a slow brain. Or maybe watching and listening to Donald Trump simply evokes memories best forgotten.  
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The wild gestures and accusations, the conspiracy theories, the name-calling ,the jumping from one subject to another and the endless repetitions are not the result of too much alcohol consumption or coke snorting from what we are told about Trump. There is no  "normal self" to look forward to.  
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Donald Trump doesn't drink at all and reportedly takes no drugs.
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What we see and hear is his "normal self."
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And perhaps that is even scarier than someone strung out on alcohol or cocaine because there are treatments and cures for those. -- PCA
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