Nashville's Political Shift: The Real Story Behind It | Chrissy Clark DSH #830

Summary

Podcast Summary: Digital Social Hour | Episode: Nashville's Political Shift: The Real Story Behind It | Chrissy Clark DSH #830

Release Date: October 25, 2024

Hosts:

• Sean Kelly – Host of Digital Social Hour
• Chrissy Clark – Former Heritage Intern, Guest Speaker

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1. Introduction

In this episode of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly engages in a candid conversation with Chrissy Clark, a former Heritage intern who has recently returned to Nashville. The discussion delves deep into Nashville's evolving political landscape, immigration challenges, and the broader implications of federal policies on local communities.

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2. Nashville's Political Shift

Chrissy Clark opens the conversation by addressing the visible signs advocating for preserving Nashville’s Republican identity. She emphasizes the city's resistance to external political influences, attributing the influx of liberal policies to newcomers from states with unfavorable policies.

"[00:00] A: ...don't come and bring your crap politics to a city in an area that is already nice."

Sean Kelly and Chrissy discuss how Nashville, traditionally conservative, has started experiencing a political shift over the past five to six years. Chrissy attributes this change to an influx of residents from places like California and Los Angeles seeking better opportunities.

"[03:35] A: ...preserve Nashville. Keep Nashville Republican. Like, keep Nashville normal."

Despite the shift, Chrissy argues that many Nashville residents remain apathetic towards politics, focusing instead on local lifestyles and businesses. This detachment, she suggests, allows for a blend of conservative values within an increasingly liberal environment.

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3. Immigration and Border Issues

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the complexities of the U.S. immigration system. Chrissy Clark shares her personal struggles with the immigration process, highlighting systemic inefficiencies and bureaucratic red tape.

"[06:02] A: ...because it's 13 years of incompetence and bureaucracy."

She points out that while the Mexican border remains a primary concern, there has been a notable increase in illegal crossings through the Canadian border, exploiting its relatively lax policies. This shift has stretched border patrol resources thin, making enforcement challenging.

"[06:43] B: So obviously, the Mexican border is a whole fiasco, but what about the Canadian border? I never hear about that."

Chrissy recounts experiences with border patrol, emphasizing the inconsistencies and hardships faced by legal residents versus illegal entrants. She criticizes the focus on penalizing legal crossings while ignoring broader immigration challenges.

"[07:38] B: I did that, too." "[07:53] B: They made me get out of the car when I went."

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4. Personal Experiences and Stories

Throughout the episode, Chrissy shares various personal anecdotes to illustrate the real-world impact of political and immigration policies. From dealing with long immigration waits to witnessing the transformation of her neighborhood, her stories provide a grounded perspective on abstract policies.

"[09:29] B: Years like you did." "[10:02] B: It's so crazy. I'm getting married next year and my Fiance's family's in Bolivia, but it's so hard to get over here."

She also touches on the unintended consequences of well-meaning initiatives, such as the establishment of a battered women's shelter, which inadvertently attracted a broader homeless population to her neighborhood.

"[11:38] A: ...they have men walking into it all day. So it's attracting all of the homeless population to a once very nice part of Nashville."

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5. Commentary on Conservative Policies

Chrissy Clark expresses frustration with conservative policies that, in her view, hinder progress and personal advancement. She criticizes the dependency created by government assistance programs, arguing that they discourage self-sufficiency and personal growth.

"[13:21] B: They should be rewarded if anything." "[13:27] B: Right. That's what they want. Right."

Moreover, she advocates for a more compassionate and efficient immigration system, suggesting that companies like Chick-fil-A could manage government services more effectively to enhance citizen satisfaction.

"[06:43] A: ...if Chick Fil a just ran the DMV or if Chick Fil A ran our immigration system, we would have happy, good citizens here."

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6. Discussions on Celebrity and Political Figures

Towards the episode's conclusion, Sean Kelly and Chrissy Clark shift focus to broader political commentary, discussing figures like Harry Sisson, Bryce Hall, and Donald Trump. They ponder the potential of these personalities engaging in more relatable and entertaining dialogues on political matters.

"[15:05] B: But some of his takes are wild. Like, he said Kamala killed it in the Fox News interview yesterday."

Chrissy shares her desire for politicians to showcase more genuine and personal opinions, moving away from scripted responses to build better relatability with the public.

"[14:32] A: ...just freakin tell us it's funny."

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7. Conclusion

The episode wraps up with reflections on the current political climate in Nashville and the broader United States. Chrissy Clark reiterates the need for meaningful policy changes that prioritize efficiency and personal freedoms over bureaucratic control. The conversation underscores the tension between maintaining traditional values and adapting to evolving societal norms.

Sean Kelly thanks Chrissy for her insightful contributions, highlighting the importance of such dialogues in understanding and addressing the complexities of modern political and social landscapes.

"[17:16] B: Chrissy, thanks for coming on. That was fun."

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Notable Quotes

• "[00:00] A: ...don't come and bring your crap politics to a city in an area that is already nice." – Chrissy Clark on preserving Nashville's political identity.

• "[06:02] A: ...because it's 13 years of incompetence and bureaucracy." – Chrissy Clark on the U.S. immigration system.

• "[11:38] A: ...they have men walking into it all day. So it's attracting all of the homeless population to a once very nice part of Nashville." – Chrissy Clark on the unintended effects of social programs.

• "[13:21] B: They should be rewarded if anything." – Sean Kelly on assisting those who progress beyond government aid.

• "[14:32] A: ...just freakin tell us it's funny." – Chrissy Clark advocating for genuine political discourse.

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Conclusion

This episode of Digital Social Hour offers an unfiltered look into the challenges facing Nashville amidst its political transformation. Chrissy Clark provides a personal lens through which listeners can understand the broader implications of immigration policies and the evolving socio-political landscape. Through engaging dialogue and poignant anecdotes, Sean Kelly and Chrissy shed light on the complexities of maintaining cultural identity in a rapidly changing environment.

Transcript

[A]

Has signs that's like, preserve Nashville, Keep Nashville Republican. Like, keep Nashville normal. Like, don't bring your politics here. You're leaving your shit state to come here for a reason. Because you made bad policy decisions that resulted in high taxes, high inflation. And yes, we have high inflation in Nashville too. It's federal, but still, like, don't come and bring your crap politics to a city in an area that is already nice.

[B]

Right. All right, guys, Chrissy Clark here today. Former heritage intern and now she's back.

[A]

Yeah, no, I feel like Heritage took one look at me and they were like, oh, you really speak a lot. Maybe heritage is not the best spot for you.

[B]

I love it. You got some memories here then.

[A]

Yeah. Oh, my gosh. I come back here and I'm like, flooded with like the horrible decisions that 20 year old Chrissy made. But that's okay.

[B]

So you've changed a lot politically.

[A]

No, not politically per se. I guess I was kind of like sycophantically Republican as a young kid. And then I woke up and realized that Republicans are likely in bed with Democrats as well. And it's just kind of a unipli party that's operating here in D.C. and I got really frustrated by it and I was like, peace. I will always call myself conservative, not Republican. Right, right.

[B]

I believe in that uniparty thing too.

[A]

It's crazy. I mean, you look at what they're doing with taxes and even just like the SAVE act, for instance, which is to not get illegal immigrants to vote. Come on. You think that the Republicans didn't, like, they don't know that they don't have the votes? Of course, like, it's all such a political sham. It's not actually interested in like, hey, let's create a bill that's actually going to get people to pass what we need to pass to ensure election integrity. It's crap.

[B]

Yeah. Politics feels like reality tv. Every day I log into X and I'm like, what's. What's going on today?

[A]

I know, it's so true. And the way that like reality stars, I kind of wish they would get a little bit into politics because it would be more entertaining to watch than like all these ugly people talking about politics, you know? Yeah, that's like, at least they're hot and funny instead of like dumb and ugly and kind of funny.

[B]

It's because people are old in politics, so they're not really the most attractive, I guess.

[A]

I know, but like, just generally speaking, it's not like you're looking at. I Don't even know. Paul Ryan's a bad example, but, like.

[B]

Trying to think who's the most attractive.

[A]

Politician in your eyes right now, that's rough because I feel like all of them, like, come for a couple of years. Like, the good ones are only there and they, like, naturally term limit themselves, and so they're normal. So naturally they're, like, more attractive. So. So there's.

[B]

People are saying JD Vance is up there. Right.

[A]

He is like, he. It's the eyes, though. If he didn't have blue eyes, I don't think he'd be as attractive. That's a hot take. Is that a hot take? Those are, like, piercing blue eyes on, like, brown hair. It hits differently. If I had blue eyes, you know how hot I would be?

[B]

Like, something with blue eyes is attractive.

[A]

It is, I think, because it's so.

[B]

Rare that you're like, oh, what is that?

[A]

I didn't know that about blondes, though. That's why blondes are considered more attractive. Like, it is just worldwide, so rare. But you don't really see that in the States, but worldwide, it's so rare, which is why.

[B]

Interesting.

[A]

I didn't know that.

[B]

Yeah. When I go to Nashville, it's all blonde.

[A]

I know. I love.

[B]

Literally, I'm the only Asian there.

[A]

I feel like I'm the only brunette.

[B]

Yeah. Facts. I go to any restaurant in Nashville, it's like 50 blondes.

[A]

Yeah. No, I mean, that's just the type. But they're usually actually pretty good people in Nashville. I know people are bitching and complaining about the fact that Nashville is turning, like, uber liberal, but if you actually talk to the people of Nashville, they're very conservative. They're just. Heck, they're so apathetic. They're. They're on Broadway, they're at the bars, they're doing their own thing. They're not paying attention to politics. And that's why we have, like, a half transgender mayor or something, so.

[B]

Well, every major city is liberal, to be honest.

[A]

I know it's not, like a huge shocker, but Nashville was, relatively speaking, a pretty conservative place until the last. I'd say five, six years. Relative to cities.

[B]

Right. Other people from LA and stuff started coming in.

[A]

It's so funny, though, because I lived in Austin before I lived in Nashville, and I've just kind of lived all over. And the way that Austin didn't care about its culture enough to tell people, like, f, off with your terrible ideas. And the way Nashville has tried to preserve it, they have signs all over this big they call it the sticks because we're in the sticks. It's like the sticks, I don't know, design thing they have in the middle of the city, and it has signs that's like, preserve Nashville. Keep Nashville Republican. Like, keep Nashville normal. Like, don't bring your politics here. You're leaving your shit state to come here for a reason, because you made bad policy decisions that resulted in high taxes, high inflation. And, yes, we have high inflation in Nashville, too. It's federal, but still, like, don't come and bring your crap politics to a city in an area that is already nice.

[B]

Right. That's the thing with COVID Everyone fled Cali, went to Austin, went to Vegas, went to Nashville, went to some. Tried to go to Miami, but they haven't penetrated.

[A]

Yeah, thank goodness they haven't penetrated. I mean, they really haven't penetrated suburban Nashville yet, which is good. They've stuck to, like, the actual downtown. Like, I live in one of the most liberal streets, literally. It's just you go down the street, and it's like, transgender flag here, transgender everywhere. And then there's this one. I would call it like, an apothecary of sorts. Like, just random things, Knickknacks, jazz, like that. And they have a sign on there that says, just everything is like, we're in a red state. Run. This is scary because it's Halloween or something like that, and I'm like, just move. Just move. Like, what are you doing? You operate a business here. You benefit on the fact that we have, like, good business policies here in a red state. Why are you complaining about being in a red state when you're taking advantage of all of the good policies that you get in a red state? Go operate your business in California. See how it works out for you.

[B]

For real? Yeah. People complain that the US Is, like, the worst.

[A]

I will never. I'm Canadian, so I will never understand this. This boggles my mind beyond all compare. I could actually get email about it. I don't get how you could sit there and say, oh, America is the racist, sexist, whatever country in the world. I'm like, you want to try Afghanistan? I saw a girl holding a sign that said, I want to one day have as many rights as a gun does. Okay. You want to be banned from federal building schools? Like, that's literally what we left for the Taliban. So just show.

[B]

Yeah, I saw that sign yesterday. Yeah, people just don't know when they zoom out.

[A]

No, people are. It's painful. And then going through the immigration process myself, it's so frustrating. People are like, oh, it's so messed up. It's so awful. And it's because of their skin color. I'm like, I. I said the immigration system for 13 years. You think. You think I look scary? I mean, like, no, I'm not some whack job. And my family just came here on, like, a legal work visa for Oracle. We're not threatening by any sort of means. It still took 13 years because it's 13 years of incompetence and bureaucracy. And if we would just. I always say if Chick Fil a just ran the DMV or if Chick Fil A ran our immigration system, we would have happy, good citizens here. I just absolutely advocate for that hardcore.

[B]

So obviously, the Mexican border is a whole fiasco, but what about the Canadian border? I never hear about that.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. So there is this sector up in the northeastern area. It's like New York, Vermont, and one other state that I'm forgetting. And we have actually seen the highest number in the last fiscal year. So fiscal years are 2020 or October to October. October 23rd to October 24th. You've seen the highest rate of illegal immigrants crossing through from 90 different countries through the northern border. They know that we have a massive problem on the southern border. So immigrants are getting smart to this. They're utilizing Canada's lax border policies as well. Flying into Canada and trying to get into our northern border. We don't have border patrol agents there. We barely have border patrol agents in the south. How are we doing it in the north? It's just people are getting smart. You think you'd shut the southern border and it's going to go well? No, no. And it always makes me laugh because I went to college in Michigan. So I would go into Canada routinely to. To drink at 19.

[B]

I did that, too.

[A]

It was a blast. And I would come back in and you would just get wrong out by border patrol. And I'm like, could you maybe just put your energy towards the illegal ones? Because I. I'm coming back here because I live here legally. If you could just stop with the ninth degree.

[B]

They made me get out of the car when I went.

[A]

Oh, my gosh.

[B]

Yeah, I went to Montreal. I had to step out the vehicle. They searched the whole car. I was just a college kid.

[A]

Yeah, that same thing happened because I had. You know those things on the back of your phone that hold your wallet?

[B]

Yeah, the circle thing.

[A]

Yes. Okay. Yeah, yeah, kind of. I guess some of those are mine. Like, had my global Entry. I had one of those on the back of my passport, and they were like, this is highly irregular. I'm like, for a college kid to be inventive so they don't lose their global entry card. Like, this is so weird. And I had to get out and get completely searched. And it was just this wild thing. I'm like, oh, if only you would put that time and energy towards the things that actually matter, like the southern border and now the northern border. I'll have to get you the name of that sector.

[B]

Yeah, please. I think James O'Keefe just exposed this. I don't know if it was the northern birder, but he made a documentary.

[A]

Oh, I'd love to see it. His work is so interesting. Like, he's just always a step ahead of other people, and that's what makes a good documentarian, obviously, but people are always paying catch up to whatever.

[B]

Yeah, no, he's a trendsetter.

[A]

He.

[B]

He went to the border and crossed. Like, he pretended to be an illegal and crossed and documented all of it.

[A]

Okay, this is really awful. I'm not going to say this person's name, but I used to work at a company, and this person was terminated from the company, this employee, and he was on a work visa, so he was going to get sent back to his home country. And I literally told him, if you don't somehow get your work visa or new work visa, you should go to Mexico and try to, like. And talk to, like, conservative media and just try to sneak in, because it will be worth it. Like, you will make money. Someone will hire you because you do that. Like, you might be risking your life. Sure. Maybe I shouldn't advocate for this, but, like, hey, you know, beats waiting 13.

[B]

Years like you did.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. Exactly. And that's the other thing, too, is we waited 13 years and we had to do it. All right? I remember my dad got in a traffic accident. I'm pretty sure it was his fault. I don't know. But I was like, nine. But I did get pulled out of elementary school or middle school or whatever age I was at the time, and leave and go downtown to our immigration lawyer's house or immigration lawyer's office solely to do this whole background check because now we had a strike against us in the immigration system.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

What?

[B]

Like, just for getting in an accident?

[A]

Right? And now it's not a crime to be here illegally, but we get in an accident and our citizenship is threatened.

[B]

It's so crazy. I'm getting married next year and my Fiance's family's in Bolivia, but it's so hard to get over here. Like, some of them probably won't be able to make the wedding. Isn't that crazy?

[A]

I know. While we just had a friend whose family's in the Dominican Republic, they couldn't come. Her own sister. She's American citizen, and she could not come from.

[B]

That's terrible. Yeah. They're saying it's taken years.

[A]

It's wild. And it's so sad because there are people. I just wish they did it based on. Obviously you want to say merit, but also just. I wish we had, like, a good vibes meter. You could just put people into the little, you know, like a tube or something and be like, yeah, they got good vibes. They could come in.

[B]

They don't want those people. They want the criminals.

[A]

Exactly. Why is that? Why do you feel that way?

[B]

Like, it's got to be by design. Because they want to rule in fear.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, everything they do is to put us in a state of fear.

[A]

I've never felt fearful until the illegal. Like, until I saw stories. And I'm sure part of it is a bit of a media manifesto, but really, I mean, you see the crime coming up in my own area. I moved to this specific part of Nashville three years ago to be in the hoy. I didn't care how much I paid in rent. If I could feel safe walking to my car and not feel like I needed a firearm in my own apartment complex, I. Good. Like, my standard was pretty low. And no, I. In the course of the three years, I can't wait to get out of here in February because I'm just. I'm dying to get out because all of a sudden, crime has come into the area.

[B]

Asheville.

[A]

It's crazy. Wow.

[B]

I thought that was a safer city.

[A]

Oh. And it's. It's just sad. I, I, I mean, relative is relatively. But I opened my door to just let some fresh air, and it used to be so quiet and peaceful on my street, and now I just hear the N word and people screaming at each other constantly.

[B]

And that happened within a few years.

[A]

It happened within six months.

[B]

Holy.

[A]

In the last six months, they put up this battered women's shelter, and it's no longer. I mean, this is my commentary on Christians. I am a Christian. The way that Christian ministry has gone so into, let me give you handouts, as opposed to let me give you handouts and tell you about the Lord. There is a massive difference. And what was happening at this specific shelter is Giving anybody handout. And then they also call it a battered women's shelter, and there's men walking into it all day. So it's attracting all of the homeless population to a once very nice part of Nashville. It's incredibly frustrating. Of course, I want to give and to help people, but at the same time, I don't think giving them motivation to come get food and then ravage another area is not helping the city in any way.

[B]

And that's the thing with a lot of government funding programs, too, like food stamps and Section eight. Like, you're providing this lifestyle, but then if they want to make more money, they don't qualify for it, so why would they?

[A]

Right. I know we went through this with a girl at the church. She was super, super sweet girl. She got pregnant when she was 16, and she's kind of had boyfriend to boyfriend. And we've always helped her out. My husband and I have always. You know, she needed a vacuum. We bought her a vacuum, whatever she needed. And she was living at these apartment complexes, and we were doing some outreach in the area, and it was so fun. And she's such a great girl. And then she moved into this separate unit to. She kind of, like, went up. She got a job at Kroger, was doing really well, and all of a sudden, she stopped applying for benefits. And I felt so bad because my phone was constantly blowing up. Like, I don't have enough food. I can't. I don't have enough money for gas. Because she was off of so many of these assistant programs. And I'm like, the threshold either needs to be just so different, or we need to stop punishing people for progressing in their life. Because that's what's happening.

[B]

They should be rewarded if anything.

[A]

And that's not. But that's not what the system is designed to do. It's designed to keep you on the teat.

[B]

Right. That's what they want. Right.

[A]

They're always going to. Because it gives them more power and more control over your life.

[B]

Crazy. I saw you cover the Harry Sisson Bryce hall beef.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So Harry's coming on the show.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. Good luck.

[B]

What should I ask him?

[A]

Oh, my gosh. If I could ask Harry Sisson anything, what would it be? Honestly, I want to say, do you have a tiny wiener?

[B]

But that's really.

[A]

He's probably been asked up before. No, it's not a unique question by any stretch of the means. I actually want to know, like, what. What is your hot take? Like, can you give Me a hot take that isn't something that's manufactured. I would actually love if somebody would ask Kamala that too. Like, do you have something that you're like, oh, I. I wish you would just talk about this, or I wish you would say something. He's also very. Just blatantly political. Right. I would love to know some of his, like, social and cultural opinions on things, because he obviously engages in society. He wouldn't have followers if he didn't have some sort of relatability. Like, where does he see liberalism on that social and cultural aspect? Right. Because I feel like conservatives actually really win in that aspect.

[B]

Right.

[A]

That's why you have a lot of closeted conservatives or people that watch other, like, people like us, and they're like, oh, I'm conservative. I didn't realize, like, you guys are cool. Oh, cool. I thought you were like a bunch of Bible thumping weirdos.

[B]

That's how I got turned into it.

[A]

Right. You just, like, find people that are like you, and it's. You're starting to see a shift in that. So I'd actually be very interested to see if he feels that way as well.

[B]

Yeah. Almost humanize him, right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It sounds like he's just following a script half the time.

[A]

I know. I just. I want to. He's got to have something inside that he's like, oh, I just want to say the word retarded or something. You know, I'll try to press him.

[B]

But some of his takes are wild. Like, he said Kamala killed it in the Fox News interview yesterday.

[A]

Okay, well, that's just delusion. I want to know, like, hot takes. Like, something you would only tell your best friend that you probably don't want aired. Just freaking tell us it's funny.

[B]

Yeah. I might have to give him a shot before. Loosen him up a little bit.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Is he even 21?

[A]

Is he? Yeah, he's got for a second. Yeah. You could always just give him.

[B]

Oh, man. What about Trump? What would you ask him or tell him if you saw him?

[A]

Oh, gosh, I would. I love that Trump just did that Harris Faulkner sit down with women, because that really is his lowest point. But the thing is, is that women, most women don't like to take themselves too seriously. The second that a woman starts taking herself too seriously, she kind of becomes like the odd one out. In female circles, females like to be relatable. We like to be emotional around each other. And so when Trump is able to actually be himself and not be like an on camera talking to you or, like, in a big crowd. He is actually really relatable, and I think that's why a lot of women in his life love him and really look up to him and have nothing but good things to say about him because he's so funny and just naturally, like, off the cuff and doesn't take himself too seriously. And women are attracted to that. That's why we like funny guys. We're naturally attracted to people that just don't take themselves, like, so seriously. I know everyone wants their 65 finance bro. Like, he better have a good personality too, or I'm not interested. It's just I think he's got such a. He's been gifted with such a great personality. I just want to shine. And so, yeah, I think he does. He goes on those bro y podcasts for a reason.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because he shines in that light. And he shines. So I would love for women that are a little less serious, honestly. You know who I'd love to see Trump talk to? Brianna Chicken Fry.

[B]

Oh, that'd be a good one.

[A]

That would be a good one because she doesn't take herself too seriously. She's not afraid of being canceled. She'd been canceled, like, eight times this week. Yeah, it'd be funny to get Brianna Chicken Fry to talk to Donald Trump. And if Harris can go on call her daddy, then Trump can go on.

[B]

Yeah, Brianna would be good one. She turned down Kamala too, so, I.

[A]

Mean, she wouldn't do it. I'm not saying she would. I'm just saying it would be funny to watch it. It would be the equivalent of talking to a very female audience, but getting some, like, stupid ass questions.

[B]

Absolutely. Chrissy, thanks for coming on. That was fun.

[A]

Thanks for having me.

[B]

Yep.