Mad Men 1x12

Nixon vs. Kennedy

Season 1, Episode 12

& Don: So... what happens?
    Cooper: Neil from P&G said if Kennedy is willing to buy an election, he's probably willing to play ball with us.
    Don: Ah, the optimism of the American corporation.
    Cooper: It's a football game to them.
    Don: Doesn't seem fair.
    Cooper: Fair? Very good.


& Don: Spit it out, Campbell.
    Pete: I know that your name is not Donald Draper. It's Dick Whitman. I don't know who Donald Draper is, but according to my friend Russ at the Department of Defense, Dick Whitman died in Korea in 1950, and Donald Draper dropped off the map. Although he's 43 years old, in which case you look remarkably good.

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& Don 2 Pete: When you threaten someone in this manner, you should be aware of the fact that if your information is powerful enough to make them do what you want... what else can it make them do?


& Pete: I have to bring this up to you. Only because I believe if I kept it from you in the end it would be damaging to Sterling Cooper. It has come to my attention, completely by accident, that Donald Draper here is not who he says he is. His real name is Dick Whitman, but... Dick Whitman died in Korea ten years ago. It stands to reason that he is a deserter at the very least and who knows what else.
    Cooper: Mr. Campbell, who cares?
    Pete: What?!
    Cooper: Who cares?
    Pete: Mr. Cooper, he's a fraud and a liar. A criminal, even.
    Cooper: Even if this were true, who cares? This country was built and run by men with worse stories than whatever you've imagined here. The Japanese have a saying: A man is whatever room he is in, and right now Donald Draper is in this room. I assure you, there's more profit in forgetting this. I'd put your energy into bringing in accounts.


& Cooper: Don, fire him if you want. But I'd keep an eye on him. One never knows how loyalty is born.


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