Conservatives For Harris In Deep Red Tennessee: Grassroots, or Astroturf?

A new controversy has emerged, just south of Franklin in Maury County, Tennessee, where a billboard promoting Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as the choice for "Maury County Conservatives" has appeared—an ad meant to look like a grassroots effort. 

 However, a closer look reveals that the billboard is likely anything but an organic campaign by local conservatives.

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According to reliable sources, the sign, which is located across from The Columbia Neon Company, the business who manages the sign, was paid for by Seth Campbell, a Democrat, using a $550 check. Campbell’s involvement immediately raised eyebrows, as he is the son of James Campbell, a Democrat who unsuccessfully ran against Republican Representative Scott Cepicky in the 2020 election. James Campbell lost in a landslide, securing only 28.9% of the vote to Cepicky's commanding 71.1%.

A social media post on Facebook by the group Middle Tennessee Conservatives authored by the Chair of the Conservative Republicans of Maury County states thus: 

 “Emergency Letter from the Chair:

Good morning my fellow conservatives. 

I need you to take a few minutes and read this. 

At the end of the Duck River Bridge as you go North, you will see a digital sign on the left, close to the Enterprise location. 

There is a digital billboard located there, and an ad was place on the billboard last week. (See photo below). The billboard says, “Maury County Conservatives endorse Harris/Walz. 

When I saw it, it jarred me so badly, I didn’t know what to do. So I invested on Thursday and called the billboard provider. They told me that the paid for line on the sign said: “Paid for by James Campbell and friends.”

There are two James Campbell’s in Columbia. One is a realtor and a great friend. The other is a democrat who ran against Scott Cepicky in 2020 and had voted D in the past 8 primaries or so. The billboard provider advised which one. (I also personally called the other to verify it was not him). I then asked them to give me the form of payment as this was a possible election fraud given Democrats placed the ad. They advised me that the payment came from Seth Campbell, a leader in the Democratic Party and a member of their State Executive Committee. 

In a text exchange with Seth Campbell before he knew I knew he bought the ad, he thanked me for putting the sign up…basically confirming the intent was to attached the sign to our group.

This has caused me great stress and worry. I don’t want anyone to think we as a group would support a Democratic ticket, bring bad press to us as a group, or give members or other Conservatives the impression we would do this. 

BUT the Democrats are doing what Democrats do: they LIE, they DECEIVE, and they WASTE money. 

We will talk about this at the next meeting. I’m doing what I can to get it taken down but the Democrats are making excuses etc. 

Wanted you to know and be aware…and please let folks know….this was NOT US. Just a Democrat ploy to distract and damage. 

In Liberty,

Debbie Matthews, Chair”

TruthWire News contacted Debbie Matthews, who expressed concern that the name displayed on the billboard was deliberately chosen to closely resemble the group she chairs, with the intent to confuse both her group’s members and passersby unfamiliar with the actual organization.

 Matthews was alarmed by the possibility that her group might be mistakenly linked to an endorsement of Harris and Walz. Seeking clarity, she inquired with the sign company about the individual responsible for the advertisement. It was then that the company disclosed that Seth Campbell, a member of the Democratic State Executive Committee, had written the check for the billboard.

 According to Matthews, when she confronted Campbell, he initially denied involvement. However, after being presented with a copy of the check bearing his signature, Campbell acknowledged that he had arranged and paid for the sign. He suggested to Matthews that the billboard was intended as a joke on her and her group. 

 This is a different version of events than what Campbell has conveyed to others who have also inquired about why he sponsored the sign. 

 Most concerning to those who are knowledgeable of the political landscape in Middle Tennessee, is Seth Campbell’s claim that the billboard was sponsored by a group of conservatives calling themselves "Maury County Conservatives” and not a practical joke at the expense of Matthew’s group. 

 So, if we are to extend the benefit of the doubt to Campbell, the pressing question then becomes: "Who are these so-called 'Maury County Conservatives,' and what is the purpose of this sign?"

 Tennessee, a firmly entrenched red state, was decisively won by President Trump in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, each time securing 60.7% of the vote. In contrast, Hillary Clinton garnered 34.7% in 2016, with Joe Biden performing only slightly better in 2020 at 37.4%.

 In both elections, Maury County demonstrated even stronger support for Trump, surpassing statewide figures by over 7 points, with approximately 67.4% of votes in favor of Trump in both races.

 Moreover, Maury County is home to one of what many would call the most staunchly conservative members of the Tennessee Congressional delegation, Representative Andy Ogles. Before ascending to Congress, Ogles served as the highly popular mayor of Maury County, largely due to his defiant stance against state-imposed COVID-19 mandates emanating from Governor Bill Lee's office and the bureaucracies under his purview.

 Ogles was the sole county mayor in the state to openly challenge the governor’s directives, effectively running his county without the enforcement of mask or vaccine mandates. His constituents, with the exception of progressive critics who accused him of endangering lives, rallied behind him for his steadfastness.

 It was precisely this groundswell of local support that sent ripples of concern through the ranks of establishment Republicans, particularly those backing another term for Governor Lee. Ogles’ popularity—and his observably uncompromising commitment to personal freedom—posed what many considered a credible threat to Lee’s re-election, making him a potential challenger that the Republican establishment viewed with apprehension in the aftermath of the governor's more heavy-handed approach during the pandemic.

 But that is a story for another day. 

 Despite a thorough search of social media and political reporting databases, no such group with the name “Maury County Conservatives”/ “Maury County Conservatives For Harris Walz” appears to exist. Attempts to contact Campbell has yielded no response, leaving many wondering who is really behind this misleading ad.

 To quote legendary literary character Sherlock Holmes, "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

 In this case, the truth apparently, is that this effort is some sort of desperate attempt by Democrats to manufacture the illusion of a grassroots movement of disaffected conservatives breaking for Kamala Harris. 

 The aim may be to target evangelicals and portray Harris, a progressive with arguably radically left positions on issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, and transgender rights, as a more "Christian" alternative to Donald Trump.

 However, the reality is far different. Evangelicals who do vote, overwhelmingly tend to support conservative candidates, and Kamala Harris's platform positions are starkly at odds with traditional conservative values. 

 Her support for progressive policies, including her hardline pro-abortion stance and advocacy for transgender rights, is unlikely to sway evangelical conservatives, especially when framed as an issue of “love” versus “hate.” Such an argument attempts to twist biblical principles to suit a radically progressive agenda.

 This type of political manipulation is nothing new. As noted by local conservative activists, Democrats, and even establishment Republicans depending on the state, frequently use deceptive tactics to simulate grassroots movements. By inflating the visibility of causes through paid advertising and false claims of widespread support, they aim to mislead voters about the real dynamics at play in local and national politics.

 The billboard ad in Maury County is yet another example of this strategy. It is designed to create confusion and foster the illusion that even conservative voters are abandoning their principles to support a far-left candidate like Kamala Harris. But the data doesn’t support such a shift. Evangelical voters, and white evangelicals with specificity, have consistently supported Republican candidates, with 80% voting for Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

 This deceptive billboard campaign highlights the lengths to which the Harris/Walz campaign and their acolytes will go, to create the appearance of a growing movement, even when the facts tell a different story. 

 The ad is not a reflection of actual political sentiment in Maury County so much as an orchestrated effort to undermine conservative values and manipulate public perception.

 In 2020, over 20 million evangelicals stayed home on Election Day. It is not outside the realm of probability that this sort of ploy is meant to keep them from turning out in 2024, but in even greater numbers. 

 According to recent polls, Harris will need exactly that if she wants to come anywhere near the presidency. 

 As the political landscape continues to heat up, it’s more important than ever for voters to stay vigilant and discerning. Efforts like this billboard serve as a reminder that, in today’s political climate, not everything is as it seems. For now, the billboard remains a sign of desperation from those attempting to blur the lines of truth and sway voters through illusion rather than reality.

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