In an already tense American political landscape, a special House election in Tennessee has become the flashpoint for a profound cultural divide—not just about policy, but about the alarming disconnect between the political elite and the voters they seek to represent. Candidate Aftyn Behn, a Democrat running in a heavily red district where President Donald Trump won by a staggering 22 points, has inadvertently become the perfect poster child for a shocking assertion: many modern Democratic politicians not only fail to understand the culture of their constituents but actively despise and reject it.

Fox News host Jesse Watters utilized Behn’s case to launch a scathing, generalized critique, labeling such Democratic politicians as “snobby shut-ins.” Behn herself instantly went viral for a string of controversial social media posts and public statements that directly contradicted the core spirit and values of the community she hopes to serve.

The Self-Sabotage of Incendiary Comments

The first and most shocking flashpoint was Behn’s public declaration that she “hates Nashville,” the very city known globally as Music City, the capital of country music, and the economic heart of her district. Her attempt to walk back the comment was clumsy and failed to quell the outrage. She awkwardly tried to connect with the culture by mentioning she was conceived after a George Strait concert, a futile effort to establish authenticity that only highlighted the glaring contradiction inherent in her candidacy: how can one represent a city while publicly expressing disdain for its very essence, its location, and its people?

However, Behn’s self-sabotage did not end there. She was also confronted about deleted past social media posts that expressed support for the controversial movement to “defund the police.” When questioned, she employed the weak strategy of “I don’t remember these tweets,” a flimsy denial given the high-profile nature of those issues in 2020. Her specific claim that the NYPD was “anti-queer” showcased a deep-seated progressive ideology starkly at odds with the law-and-order values cherished by a conservative district like Tennessee.

Perhaps the most culturally divisive statement was her attack on sororities and bachelorettes, quintessential elements of Southern culture. Watters and his co-hosts highlighted that Behn went as far as labeling sororities as “white supremacists.” This is a profoundly serious accusation, demonstrating an explicit contempt for Southern women and traditional community organizations.

The Watters Thesis: Hating the Culture is Default

Jesse Watters expanded Behn’s isolated case into a broader thesis about a fundamental failure within the modern Democratic Party. Watters argued that Behn’s issues were not exceptional, but evidence that the Democratic political class has developed a habit of hating the culture they neither understand nor participate in.

Watters questioned the sincerity of politicians who fail to display a basic connection to their constituents. He posited that if you represent Texas, you should love steak and not be a vegetarian. If you represent Massachusetts, you should love the Boston Red Sox and the Kennedys. Conversely, Watters challenged: “Why does it always seem like the Democrats hate the culture?” He noted that the public “never see[s] them out in the culture,” never at a football game, or speaking fondly of their home state.

He challenged anyone to find evidence of figures like Jasmine Crockett, who represents Dallas, attending a Cowboys game, or hearing Bernie Sanders speak positively about Vermont beyond railing against billionaires. Watters’ conclusion was stark: these politicians “see voters as steppingstones,” they don’t truly love the people they serve, and in fact, “actually hate them.” Behn’s behavior, an explicit rejection of key groups and places within her district, served as the perfect illustration of this detached elite mindset.

Gutfeld’s Analysis: The Disease of ‘Suicidal Empathy’

Greg Gutfeld’s analysis delved into the psychology driving figures like Aftyn Behn. Gutfeld dubbed her “the bane of Nashville,” a prime example of a highly educated, white, female liberal. Gutfeld characterized Behn as a member of “the mob” during the 2020 events, someone whose past words “made people’s lives miserable.”

Gutfeld identified a through-line in Behn’s expressed hatred: she targeted traditional white women—sorority girls, future brides, and mothers. Gutfeld argued this was driven by a “guilt thing and a virtual signaling thing.” Behn, he theorized, was throwing other white women “under the bus” to assert her own moral superiority, an act possibly rooted in deep-seated fear and self-doubt about her personal choices.

Most powerfully, Gutfeld used the term “suicidal empathy” to describe this mindset. It is a condition where one automatically sides with the perceived “victim” or “underdog,” even against logic or reality. She condemns having children, claiming it interferes with her “selfish needs,” yet camouflages these desires with a “false curtain of compassion.” Gutfeld concluded that these political desires are “wholly destructive,” both personally and societally, driven by a fractured sense of identity.

Political Ramifications: The Power of Disconnection

Despite Behn’s numerous liabilities, the Tennessee special election ironically highlighted a major vulnerability for the Republican Party. The district, which should have been an easy hold (Trump +22), became a tight race forcing Republicans to spend millions. This suggested that even when the opposition actively sabotages itself, the Republican Party faces deep-seated voter dissatisfaction over practical economic concerns.

Watters criticized Republicans for failing to answer the questions that truly matter to ordinary people, such as lowering grocery prices and addressing high rent costs. He cited the example of the Republican caucus almost extending an Obamacare subsidy only to be stopped by the “rank and file,” despite 70% public approval.

Ultimately, the Aftyn Behn campaign is more than just a story of candidate failure. It is a microcosm of the national ideological war: one side is represented by a political elite consumed by cultural battles, prioritizing ideological purity and a social media “dopamine rush” over the basic respect and service required of public servants. The other side is a Republican Party unable to capitalize fully on these spectacular failures because it has equally failed to connect with the economic struggles of its base. This cultural and economic disconnect has created a dangerous vacuum in American politics, making even the seemingly impossible, possible.