Reciprocal Tariffs Land, Trumpapalooza Flops and Nominations Close Sept. 11 | UnSpun Ep. 337

Episode 337 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck opens with counter-tariffs finally in effect and a US media campaign working to make Canada the villain. From there, it is Zelenskyy in Ottawa, a premier in a lumberjack jacket, and a Vancouver mayoral race with the filing deadline tomorrow.Here is what is inside:The Reciprocal Tariffs Are Live: Motorcycles, booze, paper products — but not oil and gas. Canada’s list is surgical. Theirs is willy-nilly. Do we counter-tariff the counter-tariffs?Enough of the Minutiae. Get Back to Work: George’s view as a business owner: we know where we stand. Stop relitigating tariffs every day and let people run their companies.Americans Are Asking What You Are Doing to Canada: Close to nine in ten do not want a trade war. So why is it still happening?We Had a Deal and Canada Walked Away: Jamieson Greer is repeating that line on US cable. But everyone in the room signed an NDA, and reported 11th-hour demands involving Canada’s trade relationships and French language were non-starters.Say It Often Enough and the Viewer Believes It: Jody on the messaging taking hold on American news. George on the rules inside Trump’s orbit.Trumpapalooza in Dallas: JD Vance, RFK Jr., Dr. Oz and more, with Trump headlining Thursday. George’s warning: never underestimate him.The FCC Comes After Jimmy Kimmel: Brendan Carr threatens the licence if Kimmel airs his James Talarico interview. Kimmel’s answer: put it on YouTube.Vote for Me and Here Is $5,000: Trump’s midterm promise comes with an enormous price tag. George compares it to political cheque promises closer to home.Zelenskyy Is in Canada: Jody and George discuss the parallels between how Washington is treating Canada and Moscow’s treatment of Ukraine — and why even unlikely threats have to be planned for.A Trillion Dollars on the Table in Toronto: Investors are gathering and even Mr. Wonderful says Canada is a good place to invest.The Mac Jacket Press Conference: A giant flag, “never the 51st state” and a rap. George’s take: voters want solutions, not comedy.Cancel the Tax Instead: John Rustad points to the October 1 PST expansion to accountants, engineers and strata companies. George says cancelling it would offer real relief.Vancouver: The Deadline Is Tomorrow: September 11 is when the mayoral field becomes official. With William Azaroff out and the left divided, polling suggests the split could return Ken Sim to City Hall.Where the NDP Machine Puts Its Money: With Azaroff gone, where does union support go? George looks at the remaining options.This Race Is About to Get Ugly: George expects ABC has spent the past year building a file on its opponents — and will use it when needed.Rebecca Bligh Stays In: Polling around 3 or 4%, Bligh has launched her platform. George questions the political logic of staying in.Pete Fry Wins Either Way: Win or lose, George argues Fry can emerge with a higher profile and potentially position himself for a future federal run.The Bottleneck Nobody Is Pricing In: Little is being submitted or built. George warns that could mean fewer housing starts today and a price spike in four years.Poilievre Tells US TV Canadians Are Wounded and Confused: George’s advice: rebuild the message and focus on winning the small battles in the House.Follow Jody: @jodyvanceFollow George: @george_afflecksitkamedia.ca