05/22/2026
Tennessee Edition: You Might Be a Statist
A statist is someone who helps grow the states power. This stands counter to the TN Republican principles of limited government and fiscal conservatism. We all know Jeff Foxworthy’s you might be a redneck. But have you heard you might be a statist?
If your idea of “limited government” is the state telling political parties exactly how they can pick their own candidates… you might be a statist.
If you’re ramming through bills like HB 1971 / SB 1958 that strip citizens of the ability to challenge unconstitutional laws in court before the damage is done… you might be a statist.
If you use the government to uphold a healthcare monopoly instead of letting free market competition decide winners and losers … you might be a statist.
If you’re looking to not only remove state liability to unconstitutional laws but also liability from Big corporations like Monsanto….You might be a statist.
If you are sending corporate welfare to Starbucks and Ford… you might be a statist.
If you are appealing the courts decision that found intent to go armed laws an infringement on the second and then you pass a law that will make such laws harder to go to the courts again….You might be a statist.
If you are passing laws saying they are private property protections but they are actually contractor protections where the county can’t challenge your rezoning requests and you and your buddies are contractors. Not only are you a statist but you are using your elected position to benefit yourself at the expense of those who elected you.
If you are saying you passed laws that make things “free” but it really is wealth redistribution and us taxpayers are now footing the bill. You aren’t only a statist, you might be a socialist.
Rights without remedies aren’t rights — they’re suggestions. Good luck suing the state over a gun grab or election mess after statists disguised as Republicans pass statist laws.
If your solution to everything is more state authority over parties, courts, and communities — while our guiding principles talk about absolute Bill of Rights freedoms and bureaucrats who should stay in their lane… you might be a statist.
We must stop trading principle for control. Freedom isn’t what the government generously allows — it’s what it’s forbidden from taking.
This isn’t to be confused with states rights. We are to be for state sovereignty against federal centralization. But that doesn’t mean we have all decisions centralized to the state away from the county and the people. The state should not be looking to take authority over everything.
Democrats aren’t the solution to this. Their policies are similar. They don’t fix they break and they like centralization instead of free market as seen in the issues surfacing in Asheville and LA.
The solution is Republicans who govern using the TN Republican principles as listed on the TNGOP website.
It’s too late for more names on the August ballot. But for city commission in November and looking ahead. We need you! We need God-fearing men and women to step up and lead.
Vote in every election, get Bonafide so no one can tell you no. And run.
More need to step up and defend our TN Republican principles. We are blessed to have them, now we need to shout them from
The rooftops and find people who will keep them!
A statist is someone who advocates for a high degree of state or centralized government control over social and economic affairs. Statists believe that the government is the primary mechanism for directing society, managing industry, and solving collective problems.
Statism clashes with the ideals of the conservative Tennessee Republican Party in several key areas:
1. The Role of Government
* Statism: Believes the state acts as the spiritual and organizational center of society, prioritizing collective community well-being over individual claims.
* TN GOP Ideals: Rooted in the principles of limited government, federalism. They believe that the best government governs least, and that individual liberty should take precedence over state intervention.
2. Economic Philosophy
* Statism: Favors government involvement in the economy, including central economic planning, heavy regulation, and state-backed control or subsidies of private industry.
* TN GOP Ideals: Champions free-market capitalism, deregulation, and low taxation. TN Republicans oppose what they view as statist intervention in the marketplace, arguing that free enterprise drives innovation and wealth creation better than government bureaucracy.
3. Individual Rights vs. State Authority
* Statism: Emphasizes state sovereignty over personal freedoms and may use coercive power to enforce compliance or achieve societal goals.
* TN GOP Ideals: Places a strong emphasis on constitutionalism (both the U.S. and Tennessee constitutions). Tennessee Republicans often voice anti-statist rhetoric, viewing excessive government regulation or federal mandates as an overreach that infringes on unalienable, individual rights.
4. Local vs. Centralized Control
* Statism: Promotes highly centralized, top-down governance where decisions are dictated at the highest possible level.
* TN GOP Ideals: Emphasizes decentralization and states' rights. Tennessee Republicans frequently push back against federal oversight (statism at the national level) to ensure that decision-making remains closer to the people at the state and local.
If you have someone arguing to take control away from the people or party and give it to the government. You are dealing with a statist. Say No to Socialism but also say no to Statism and Yes to the TN Republican principles.
What comes to mind when you read this?
Tell us below! 😊
