9 Comments
User's avatar
Gordon Hensley's avatar

excellent piece 🔥🔥🔥 fred is one of the most original, creative ‘out of the box’ ad pros to break into the small, clubby beltway gop admaker scene by sheer force of talent and electoral results.

Expand full comment
kellyjohnston's avatar

Agree, and thanks!

Expand full comment
Jim Breidenbach's avatar

Another great article, Kelly - they're all good, but as a fellow former OKIE, this one takes the cake!

And I DO remember that ad.

I think you're analysis is spot-on. Sadly, more than a few of my HS classmates suffer (others) with TDS, but I've learned how to interface with them on social media.

Keep 'em coming!

Expand full comment
kellyjohnston's avatar

Thanks, Jim, and aloha.

Expand full comment
Politics and Sausage Making's avatar

I agree that almost all of this is Trump saying one thing in the extreme to negotiate actual strategic benefits. Panama - we never want to see China controlling the canal. Greenland - with warming opening up the Arctic to more navigable shipping, the United States has a significant strategic need to increase our presence. Canada - eh? Just kidding, folks. When the conservatives take over, there will be less enthusiasm for tariffs, but as you say, a possible energy union that would dominate world markets like OPEC once did. More energy revenue means Canada can up its defense spending from its paltry 0.5% of GDP. Trudeau spends more on his false eyebrows than that.

Expand full comment
Andy G's avatar

Great headline; fantastic analogy of Trump as political bug zapper attracting and zapping the TDS-infected. Bravo!

P.S. Greenland, while admittedly unlikely, is not completely out of the question.

Expand full comment
John D. Heubusch's avatar

Excellent analysis. Couldn’t agree more.

Expand full comment
Ira Chaleff's avatar

Incisive reframing. From a Followership perspective I assume some of these gambits are generated by the team with which he surrounds himself. Insights into who are his less obvious brain trust would be interesting. They will also need to assure the more “cringeworthy” behaviors do not eclipse the creative disruption.

Expand full comment
Penny Rafferty Hamilton, Ph.D.'s avatar

lots of information. thanks

Expand full comment