Posted on 12/03/2025 1:36:08 PM PST by SeekAndFind
The special election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, decided last night, offered a telling look at where voters stand, what they fear, and what they expect from those who claim to fight for them.
Matt Van Epps’s victory was proof that, even in a season of economic worry, GOP strength still holds when the candidate matches the moment. And when national leadership delivers enough progress for voters to feel momentum.
Van Epps began this race under a cloud of doubt. His service record was unimpeachable, with nine combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and a reputation for disciplined leadership. However, early analysts questioned whether he had enough name recognition to reassure Republicans who feared fired-up Democrat base.
On the other side, Aftyn Behn emerged from her primary with grassroots energy, a résumé rooted in left-wing community organizing, and formal backing from the Democratic Socialists of Middle Tennessee during her state house run. Those same leftist credentials, including past calls to defund the police, energized urban Nashville activists.
Early polling reflected the tension: Van Epps held an eight-point lead in October, but Behn’s focus on rising grocery and healthcare costs resonated with some voters who felt squeezed by everyday expenses. Commentators warned that her affordability pitch could soften the Republican margin in a district Donald Trump carried by 22 points just a year earlier.
Outside money soon poured in. By early November, spending exceeded three million dollars, with Republican groups highlighting Behn’s 2020 remark, “I’m a very radical person,” while Democrats rallied national progressive support around her.
Van Epps, meanwhile, leaned into his background as Deputy Chief Operating Officer for Governor Bill Lee, where he led major initiatives in veteran services and economic development. His message became clearer as the race tightened: in a district shaped by tradition, family, and security,
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
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Notice the buzzword the Dems are running on.
It worked in NYC, but it couldn’t be duplicated in TN-7.
If the cost of housing, insurance, healthcare and college continue to rise, you can bet your bottom dollar that AFFORDABILITY will be the Democrat’s battlecry in the 2026 midterms.
But for today, I am thankful we still have a US House GOP majority. Precarious as it is.
We have to get our side to increase the energy.
And so many foolish Republicans buy into it and repeat the term.
Ridiculous.
PDJT is clearly paying attention to any evidence that Affordability as a political buzzword is actually resonating.
Pointing at past fiscal misbehavior by Biden or other donkey party miscreants is tempting but likely unavailing due to short memories. So, it’s not necessarily going to be easy for pubbies to defend against if the out-of-power party decides to use it as its primary political cudgel during the midterms.
Query whether $2k tariff “dividend” checks, currently being touted and practically promised by PDJT, although they could benefit the pubbies for purposes of the midterm elections, would ultimately devalue the dollar/trigger inflation.
Simply using the buzzword “affordability”, does not guarantee or even imply that the Democrat (Socialists) have the least notion of how to put it into practice. It is just another promise that the Democrat (Socialists) have no intention of delivering, now or ever. Just keep hammering at their incompetence in ever providing what they claim they stand foursquare in favor of.
“Lying” is much too inadequate to describe their strategy. They have raised the art of “gaslighting” to new heights. Projection is the only skill they have ever honed.
My analogy is that the Biden team handed President Trump a live grenade (inflation) and then started howling:
“He is a terrorist.”
They’ll rely on peoples’ ignorance of what caused the affordability crisis in the first place.
There are quite a lot of people out there who cannot connect the dots between government overspending and inflation.
That’s what the Democrats are relying on.
Yes clearly the democrats think they have found a key issue to run on. The GOP will need to counter it with household facts that the low information voter can relate to.
👍👍
Makes your hair hurt from the stupidity of it all.
Having to listen to them, in last ditch appeals right before election day, trying to dish up this happy 🐎💩, knowing that everything their party has ever done or tried to do predictably destroys prospects for affordability, for the average citizen, especially middle or lower middle class.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just imagine the mental midgetry to be "proud" of such a title.
Ocrazio-Cortexism?
Ocrazio-Cortex-itis?
Ocrazio-Cortex Syndrome?
The Spectrum Of Ocrazio-Cortexousnous?
Of course it will.
Dems continually break shit and blame the Republicans for not cleaning up the mess Dems made fast enough. They have zero memory of Austin hiding in a hospital with prostate cancer. Of Afghanistan withdrawal. Of unfettered illegal immigration. Trans sanctuary cities. Pro death. Pro crime. Anti-American. Anti law enforcement. No self control. How do we lose to these people?
GOP is also gonna have to highlight the fact that the Dems are evil lunatics.
Put together 45 sec montages of TikToks by blue haired Septum ring Psychos celebrating Charlie’s murder, calling for attacks on ICE Trump etc. With their batshit crazy eyes. Run those ads nonstop on network TV
The average American needs to realize the human filth they are getting in bed with if they pull the lever for anyone with a D next to their name.
Democrats are trying to play this as the GOP losing support, which is laughable, in 2024 over 312000 votes was cast and 2025 about 200000 was cast, me thinks a lot of GOP didn’t vote because they knew that the GOP would win. If it was close and the GOP has a chance to lose they would have got off their butt and voted.
Looks like Nashville has become another leftist shithole. Thank God the surrounding counties gave the Republican the win. Democrat Aftyn Behn openly admitted she hates EVERYTHING about the city of Nashville.
*gets 77% of the vote from that county*
https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/1996243891465429443?s=20
Democrats don’t know how to deliver on ‘affordability’ or they would have already done it. This is nothing more than more ‘commie crap’. Grocery stores? The one think commies understand is the power of starvation... Contol the food - control the people. There’s not one commie hellhole that hasn’t used starvation as a tool.
Because they think that Americans are just stupid enough to believe them when they say that the President of the United States personally controls the price of their Whopper and fries.
Yes, Nashville and Memphis are the two large black holes in Tennessee elections. Fortunately, those two cities combined are not enough to overcome the pretty much solid red turnout throughout most of the rest of the state.
“If the cost of housing, insurance, healthcare and college continue to rise, you can bet your bottom dollar that AFFORDABILITY will be the Democrat’s battlecry in the 2026 midterms”
That will be their platform regardless of actual costs.
“Democrats don’t know how to deliver on ‘affordability’ or they would have already done it.”
They will attack it the same way they do everything else. Subsidies to people who vote for them.
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