PAC MAN

DUMMY OF THE WEEK

📍DATELINE DICKSON, TN — DUMMY OF THE WEEK: JODY BARRETT
Aye-yo, welcome back! We took last Wednesday off. And we almost took this one off, too. Then a state representative reminded us why this segment exists. This is Dummy of the Week — a title reserved for those whose public persona is all posture, whose record is all smoke, and whose campaign ambitions are built on the legislative equivalent of a blank sheet of paper.

This week’s honoree? State Rep. Jody Barrett.

Before we get into this week, let’s do a quick rewind of Barrett’s greatest hits:

• Back in January, Donald Trump publicly cheered Gov. Bill Lee’s school-choice bill; Barrett broke ranks, saying, “Unless President Trump can keep this from mushrooming to over $1 billion per year in a decade or less, I will not be able to support it.” So much for pro-Trump.

• He followed with a Gilligan’s Island riff about Thurston Howell III getting the same scholarship as Gilligan while “the rest of the castaways pay for it.” House leadership then pulled his subcommittee assignments. So much for pro-voucher.

• Bills passed: zero. Trophies anyway: a “perfect score” from Tennessee Stands and a “Conservative Legislator of the Year” plaque from the Conservative Club of Tellico. Plaque polish doesn’t pass bills. So much for pro-ductivity.

• Ethics, reported: while arguing against basic oversight for sober-living homes, Barrett was leasing to a sober-home operator and getting paid (per The Tennessee Journal). No disclosure. So much for pro-transparency.

• Skipped GOP primaries in 2018 and 2020. For a self-styled movement guy, he missed the gate when it was open. And so much for pro-voting.

• We could this “so much…” schtick all day, but let’s move on.

This week: Barrett takes a swing at Ogles — then says he didn’t

At the Houston County GOP forum, Barrett decided it was open season on Rep. Andy Ogles. He name-checked Americans for Prosperity and the American Federation for Children, grumbled about “millions and millions” in outside money that would “lift him up,” and tossed in a coy “wink-wink” about coordination.

Translation: he hit Ogles for support from school-choice groups — the very lane Trump blessed and Barrett tried to block.

Then the internet did what it always does; it brought receipts. A commenter rolled the clip. When called on it, Barrett’s response was, “No, I didn’t… someone else mentioned Andy.” The video exists. If you’re going to throw a punch on stage, you have to own it after the bell.

And the hypocrisy isn’t subtle. Barrett rails about “dark money,” but he’s reportedly a frequent flier to D.C. when he wants those same checks. In July, he reportedly pitched Club for Growth PAC, who “… endorses and raises money for candidates who stay true to the fundamental principles of limited government and economic freedom.” Days later, their School Freedom Fund was the first outfit to spend against him with a scorching “FAKE MAGA” spot.

Club president David McIntosh put a label on it: “Kick this snake to the curb.” School-choice advocate Corey DeAngelis added, “He needs to go.” And local PAC-friendly political operative Michael Lotfi amplified the same critique. These aren’t Democrats; they’re voices Barrett tried to court, now defining him based on his anti-Trump, anti-MAGA actions to the audience he’s trying to win.

When PACs pass him over — or pay to define him — Barrett rebrands as “Mr. Grassroots.” Yet in the same news cycle, pop-country-crooner John Rich turns up in PAC-world promos urging folks to vote Jody. So PACs are poison… unless a friend is pouring the shots. Ah, delicious irony.

The pattern you can set your watch by

Barrett sells himself as Trump’s guy, then bucks Trump on the marquee school-choice push. He warns against big-money influence, then goes to the same donors for help. He takes a shot at Andy Ogles, then tells the audience they misheard. He talks like a fighter, can’t point to a single legislative win, and when the replay rolls, he argues with the replay.

And that ethics chapter still matters: while knocking modest oversight for recovery homes, he was collecting rent from one. Debate in public, benefit in private. Tennessee voters can forgive a lot; undisclosed conflicts aren’t on the list.

So who is Jody Barrett, really? Not pro-Trump. Not pro-school choice. Not anti-PAC. He’s pro-Jody — a reliable contrarian with a light legislative footprint and a heavy need for applause. If the job were cutting videos and announcing villains, he’d be a natural. The actual job is passing laws, standing by your words after you’ve said them out loud, and stepping back when your wallet is in the bill. On that test, he’s 0-for-3.

Congratulations, Jody Barrett. You are now a two-time Dummy of the Week. And it’s hard-earned. Because Congress needs someone who can count to 218; you can’t even count a single win.