The Red, Blue & Purple States Of America
Donald Trump is running scared. Running scared is what all candidates for office should do. Many politicians run scared because you never know when the tide will turn.
My first job in public relations was with a political agency, where I worked on campaigns ranging from a local assemblyman’s campaign to the presidential level. During that time, I’ve witnessed Red states turn Blue, Blue states turn Red, some states turn Purple and others, called battleground states, become color blind.
As the owner of the agency always advised candidates “always run like you’re a couple of points behind, even when you’re way ahead, because once thing is certain in life, “you never know.”
So Donald Trump is correct when he’s “running scared.” But Donald Trump is not only “running scared,” he is scared.
The telltale signs that reveal that Donald Trump is scared.
Donald Trump is resorting to belittling Kamala Harris personally, even calling her a communist, a GOP tactic not seen since it led to the downfall of Senator Joe McCarthy in the 1950s. Yet, Donald Trump has upstaged that infamous GOP bully ever since he announced his run for the presidency in 2015.
He’s scared because his attempts to insult Ms. Harris, targeting her race and laugh, are falling flat and drawing criticism from all sides. His recent claim that the crowds at Harris' rallies are AI-generated has backfired, drawing negative press and highlighting his desperation.
Further evidence of his fear is that more people watched the Democratic Convention than the Republican one, a clear indicator of the shifting momentum. His campaign is even spending money in Georgia, a state they once considered a stronghold before President Biden decided not to run for reelection.
Trump’s increased frequency of campaign rallies, up from once a week, is another sign that he’s running scared. And just like he did with Barack Obama’s family, Trump is now targeting Ms. Harris’ family, going so far as to label her father a "Marxist professor." He's even trying to convince Black voters that Ms. Harris isn’t Black, a tactic that reeks of desperation.
On the final night of the Democratic Convention, he posted a bizarre attack on Timothy Walz, an assistant coach, calling him a “Freakish Slob” and insinuating his life is a lie. As a longtime sports reporter, I can confidently say that no one refers to an assistant coach that way—it’s just another baseless attack from a scared candidate.
Trump’s fear is palpable because, for the first time since 2015, he’s up against a candidate who can generate more excitement than he can. His insult shtick, once his go-to weapon, is now tired and ineffective. So, he’s dusting off the old "communist" label to attack his opponents, a stale tactic that no longer resonates with the public.
He’s scared because Ms. Harris trounced him during their debate, leaving him grasping for relevance. He’s scared because celebrities like Taylor Swift, who have a massive influence on young voters, are endorsing Ms. Harris. Prominent Republicans like Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney, and Adam Kinzinger are also throwing their weight behind Harris, further isolating Trump from his base.
On September 18th, over 100 former national security officials from Republican administrations and ex-GOP members of Congress publicly endorsed Kamala Harris, declaring Donald Trump "unfit to serve again as president."
But what scares Donald Trump the most is the looming possibility of losing the color war. With battleground and purple states in the spotlight, the stakes have never been higher. If Trump loses—and if a jury finds him guilty in his upcoming trials—his future wardrobe might be limited to the familiar prison colors of black, white, and orange.
"Donald Trump is running scared" is the first line of this essay. Substitute "working scared" for "running scared," and the phrase applies just as well to the communications industry. At one agency I know, supervisors were even required to prepare quarterly firing lists for management.
So, my advice is to do the following:
Keep a daily diary in your handwriting of what you accomplished, including discussions with clients and your supervisors.
In our business, taking credit for another person’s ideas is common. So never discuss your best ideas during a creative meeting. After the meeting is over, write an “I just thought of memo” and send it to the individual who supervised the creative meeting, your own supervisor and to the supervisor of the account team that requested the creative session. That should prevent other people from taking credit for your good ideas.
If a client praises your work, ask if it could be put in writing. Any memo you receive from a client extolling your work should be distributed to your supervisor and top management, which will probably upset your supervisor, but if you don’t look out for yourself chances are no one at the agency will, because there are many brass rings, but only a few gold rings.
If you are told that you are being terminated and want to stay at the agency, take your case directly to top management, using your accumulated memos as evidence of your good work.
If a supervisor is out to get you, they eventually will. However, experience shows that presenting your case to top management might buy you time until the next round of layoffs, giving you the opportunity to seek other employment while still working. Remember, it’s always easier to find a job while you’re employed than when you’re unemployed.
