S.B. 2775, and the nullification doctrine in general, are fringe concoctions that the Tennessee General Assembly should summarily reject. At the recent “summer study” hearing, the bill’s author, Jeff Cobble, showed where this path leads. A statue of President Andrew Jackson stan…
Tennessee
American Refugees
Will the influx of blue state refugees into the heartland ruin the country or save it? This essay originally appeared in the March-April 2024 issue of The American Conservative (here). Thanks to Instapundit (here), Real Clear Policy (here), the Ace of Spades HQ blog (here), and the Tennessee Cons…
Spread Great Ideas Podcast
I was on a podcast recently discussing state and local politics in Tennessee. It is called Spread Great Ideas, by Brian David Crane. Here it is: https://spreadgreatideas.org/episodes/mark-pulliam/ The video version is here. Please welcome Mark Pulliam, an award-winning lawyer, writer, and activis…
Trouble in Paradise? (Part 22)
Why is the Blount County Public Library the only library in Tennessee to partner with the radical American Library Association in this propaganda campaign promoting illegal immigration? Thanks to the Tennessee Conservative News (here)! In a red state county that voted for President Trump by a 71-…
Trouble in Paradise? (Part 21)
The “uniparty” is alive and well in small town Tennessee, where cliques, status, and fashion outweigh principle. Thanks to Tennessee Conservative News (here)! In conservative East Tennessee, the deeply-religious heart of the Bible Belt, one would expect that respectable society would steer cl…
Mill Creek View Tennessee Podcast
I don’t do a lot of podcasts, but I don’t turn down invitations, either. So when Mill Creek View Tennessee Podcast asked me to discuss my recent piece in The Blaze about “bona fide Republican” status, as defined in the Tennessee Republican Party bylaws, I readily agreed. T…
Why Are Grassroots Conservatives Not Welcome in the Tennessee Republican Party?
“Bona fide” status is a malleable standard frequently manipulated by establishment moderates—or RINOs–to exclude grassroots conservatives. A slightly abridged version of this essay first appeared in The Blaze (edited by my friend Ben Boychuk) on October 6, 2023 as “‘The Sw…
Cordell Hull: Hero or Knave?
This essay originally appeared in the Daily Times on October 9, 2023 (here). Tennessee has birthed many accomplished men and women, some of whom I have written about in prior columns. We tend to remember the frontiersmen, soldiers, and adventurers, but the rich history of the Volunteer State has …
The Original “People’s President”
Andrew Jackson was the first populist in the White House. This column first appeared in the Daily Times on September 8, 2023 (here). As I have pointed out in previous columns, Tennessee has a rich and interesting history. Admitted into the Union as the 16th state in 1796, Tennessee was originally…
Trouble in Paradise? (Part 20): The Blount County Public Library’s Questionable Community “Partners”
As the expression goes, “Birds of a feather flock together.” Thanks to Tennessee Conservative News (here)! I have been sounding the alarm for some time about the Blount County Public Library’s controversial role as rent-free host for a non-profit organization servicing the homeless…