States like Tennessee continue to backslide not only due to historic underinvestment by the national donor apparatus, but also because local political insiders have entrenched themselves in a system prioritizing self-preservation over progress.

Political gatekeepers have built an administrative class focused on maintaining their power and receiving a paycheck rather than organizing to win and redistribute their power.

This “insider-first” model creates a professional revolving door of mediocrity and a cycle where new ideas, new leaders, and bold strategies are dismissed to protect the status quo.