What are "Tennessee values?"

President Trump campaigning in East Tennessee at a rally to help Marsha Blackburn in her Senate bid said,"She’s got Tennessee values.” He "roared it," said Politico. That made me stop and think. I have heard other campaign's claim their candidate had "Tennessee values," or in other state's candidates say their candidate has  "West Virginia values," or "Texas values."  In the recent Republican campaign for governor, Diane Black said her aim was to “protect our Tennessee values.”

In the Senate campaign in Texas, a Cruz spokeswoman called the Senator's Democrat opponent a "Triple Meat Whataburger liberal who is out of touch with Texas values." Wow! That must of hurt.

Tennessee values? Texas values"? What does that mean?  For one thing I assume it is the values of the people of that state as opposed to "Washington values."  "Washington values" are something of which we are to not approved. "Washington values" are bad.

Republicans currently have the presidency, and both houses of Congress so should not "Washington values" reflect Republican values? Maybe not. Maybe "Washington values" refers to the values of the entrenched  bureaucracy of government employees, the so called "deep state."  While more government employees are liberal than conservative, most are not deeply political, I would assume. They go to work and push paper in their little niche of the massive federal bureaucracy and probably are no more political than your neighbor who works as an insurance adjuster. I don't know that as a group they have in common a set of values that could be identified as "Washington values." So, I guess "Washington values" could refer to the values of  the upper level of entrenched public servants and the horde of lawyers and lobbyist looking out for their client's interest and all the people who work for media outlets and think tanks. I am not sure if the values of those people are the values that are called "Washington values" or not, but probably so. Anyway, someone needs to explain, what is a "Washington value," so I will know what it is I am supposed to be opposed to.

I wonder if it is ever said of a politician, he has "California values?"  What about, "New Jersey values?" Or, "New York City values?"  What about "Louisiana values?" Does anyone ever brag about having "Chicago values?"

Back to "Tennessee values" and Donald Trump saying Marsha Blackburn has them. Does Donald Trump know what "Tennessee values" are?  He is a New York real estate tycoon reality TV show star born to privilege who hung around celebrities, dated and paid off porn stars, bragged about groping women, and for years gave money to support liberal politicians.  He avoided the draft five times due to flat feet. He had numerous bankruptcies.  He has been married several times meeting and dating his new wife while still married to the old wife. As a real estate developer he used the power of eminent domain to take property from small people to build his casinos. He is brash, bombastic, rude and vulgar.  Do you really want Donald Trump touting your admirable "values?"  How would he know a "Tennessee value?"

I assume "Tennessee values" refers to belief in hard work, a sense of ethics, maybe a sense of fair play, at least a belief in God if not a regular church goer, and being patriotic.  I don't know but I think that must be part of it.  If you look at our state however, their are other values that might be "Tennessee values."  Such as, we are a state that likes drug abuse.  We are one of the states hardest hit by the Opioid epidemic and before that we were one of the states hardest hit by the Meth epidemic. So, maybe drug abuse is a "Tennessee value."

Tennesseans are one of the least healthy people in the country and it is not because we didn't expand Medicare. We are one of the states with the most obese people. We have high levels of physical inactivity. We have lots of people who still smoke. We have made improvements in recent years but still rank low in educational achievement and rates of high school graduation.  We also are near the top in states with large number of people who file bankruptcy. So, is being a fat, ignorant, deadbeat, smoker a "Tennessee value?"

I wonder what set of Tennessee values it is that Donald Trump knows that Marsha Blackburn has, that former Governor Phil Bredesen apparently, by contrast, does not have.  Also, could you list in numerical order the "Tennessee values" and tell me what makes them a Tennessee value?

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