Former first lady Melania Trump joins Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump on stage after he officially accepted the nomination on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 18, 2024 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The first time I heard the phrase “jumping the shark,” I was confused: I didn’t understand the phrasing at first, but I understood the negative connotation when it referenced my favorite television show at the time, “Lost.”
During Season 5 of the series, the plot skipped off track and left viewers grasping for coherence. A TV critic declared that Lost had officially “jumped the shark” — a phrase referencing the episode of the 1970s sitcom “Happy Days” in which Fonzie literally jumped a shark on water skis, changing the course of the show so drastically that the show no longer resembled what the audience initially loved about it.
I’ve found myself thinking about that phrase quite a bit over the last month — ever since President Joe Biden announced he would no longer seek the Democratic Presidential nomination and the undeniable optimism that followed — optimism because the Democratic party once again stood a chance and the possibility that the party’s messaging could override the draconian noise of the far-right.
As the joy-filled Democratic National Convention closed Aug. 22 night and Vice President Kamala Harris officially accepted the nomination, it was clear that most Americans were thirsting for something different. Had the hateful, fear-based rhetoric of the Republican Party finally jumped the shark?
While the Democratic Party attempts to ride this wave of positivity to a win in November, a larger question can be raised about its effect on Tennessee. How much have the toxic narratives of the far right impacted legislation in Tennessee? And if the Democratic party can shift the mood on the national level, could that start to lighten the color of a deep-red state like Tennessee?
Since Donald Trump arrived on the political scene in 2015 and single-handedly reshaped the messaging of the Republican Party, most Tennessee Republican politicians have followed in sycophantic suit.
Sen. Bill Hagerty has made it his mission to parrot stereotypical Trump talking points about migrants that have no basis in truth, even going so far as visiting the border for a photo-op and bringing back anecdotal stories that don’t reflect the reality of the immigration issue that currently exists in our country. Hagerty regularly refers to Democratic leaders as “communists” or pedals half-baked misinformation regarding decision-making at the Federal level.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn hasn’t held a public town hall since early 2017 when she was congresswoman for the 7th District, when she faced backlash — from both Democrats and Republicans. Yet, she was elevated to the U.S. Senate in 2018 because she sticks to the script. But the script doesn’t resonate as much as it has in the past.
Even Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee — a recent recipient of a Trump scorn — was too scared to stand up for himself in the face of Trump’s influence. Lee simply tucked his tail and continued to kiss the ring of the man who had directly set the tone for the current iteration of the Republican Party.
Stockard on the Stump: Governor letting Trump run over him like a RINO
On the legislative front, Tennessee has proven itself to be a model for far-right government, positioning itself as a standard-bearer for the far-right narrative that Trump helped usher into politics.
Since Trump’s arrival on the scene, Republican House and Senate candidates in Tennessee have invoked his name to win local primaries, calling opponents RINOs and Democratic challengers socialists. After securing positions in office, these lawmakers have enacted some of the most extreme and dangerous legislation the state has ever seen.
Parameters surrounding gun ownership have been whittled down to next to nothing. The legislature still refuses to accept billions of federal dollars to expand Medicaid coverage. Fourteen laws have been enacted against LGBTQ+ Tennesseans. And, the coup de grace for Trump Republicans? Enacting a trigger ban on abortion that officially went into effect when the Trump-appointed Supreme Court Justices voted on the Dobbs decision. Does any of this legislation happen without a Trump presidency? I don’t think it does.
But the Trump train is clearly running out of steam. There’s a new feel to the political atmosphere across the country. Hate and divisiveness may not be in vogue anymore. The Republican Party AT (After-Trump) on the national level is perilously close to skipping off track, just like Season 5 of Lost did. Maybe it’s time to give the man some water skis like The Fonz and let him and the party go ahead and finally jump the shark.
If the momentum of unity and joy continues to ride this blue wave that is seemingly growing each day, I can’t help but think it will drown Trump and any influence he continues to have on states like Tennessee.
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