To thine own self be true

To the editor:

In the days following Donald Trump’s brush with death, his campaign reported that we would see a new Trump when he accepted his party’s nomination; a more reflective, unifying and even humble man, a Trump 2.0.

That lasted a little longer than a New York minute as Trump quickly bored of reciting the carefully scripted acceptance speech his team prepared. About 15 minutes into Trump’s 90+ minute diatribe, he served his adoring supporters the red meat they crave.  Composed of equal parts anger, hate and mendacity, seasoned with a sprinkling of pop culture, Trump bloviated a meal fit for Hannibal Lecter. Trump, the O.G., was back.

Interspersed in Trump’s well-worn memes were two new, audacious campaign promises — cures for cancer and Alzheimer’s. His speech brought me back to my rock-and-roll youth, specifically two tunes. The first, sung by The Who’s Roger Daltrey, about the disappointment voters feel when they “meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” And, the second by Frank Zappa, about a mystery con man peddling “the oil of afro-dytee” and “dust of the grand wazoo” that promises to "cure your asthma too!"

Any hope of personal growth from this eternal adolescent evaporated, as did hopes that somehow Trump was scared straight. Come November, decent fair-minded Americans must echo Daltrey’s and Zappa’s words by letting Trump know at the ballot box that we “Won’t get fooled again” by his “Cosmik Debris.”

Joseph Cannisi