Opinion | Democracy or Republic? Tuberville's Dangerous Rhetoric

Is “protecting our democracy” really patriotic—or is it propaganda?

In September 2024, Senator Tommy Tuberville penned an op-ed in Newsweek, declaring: “But this issue is simple: protect our democracy by ensuring that Americans, not foreign nationals, democratically decide what direction our country should go.”

It sounds noble at first glance. But here’s the problem: America was never founded as a democracy. Our Founders deliberately rejected it. They gave us something far stronger—a Constitutional Republic. And words matter. Calling this nation a “democracy” is not only wrong; it is dangerous.

Plato warned long ago that democracies, unmoored from higher principles, devolve into tyranny. Our Founding Fathers understood this.

Madison called democracies “incompatible with personal security or the rights of property.” Jefferson described democracy as “mob rule.” Hamilton bluntly said ancient democracies “never possessed one good feature of government.”

The list goes on. John Quincy Adams saw democracy as unstable and short-lived. John Adams reminded us, “We are a nation of laws, not of men.” And Benjamin Franklin delivered his famous warning: “A republic, if you can keep it.”

That’s the difference: in a republic, government is bound by the Constitution—a strict set of limits designed to protect the people from the very government they created. A democracy, by contrast, gives free rein to majority rule—even when it tramples individual rights.

The U.S. Constitution is explicit. Article I, Section 8 lays out a finite list of congressional powers: taxation, commerce, naturalization, coinage, national defense, and a handful of others. Everything else is off-limits. Yet look at Washington today. Endless wars, bloated bureaucracies, unchecked spending, and federal intrusion into every corner of life. None of this resembles the system our Founders designed.

As Thomas Paine put it: “Either it is expressly delegated by the people, or it is assumed. The first is legitimate and lawful. The second is tyranny.”

Alabama’s Constitution echoes the same warning. Article I, Section 35 declares: “The sole object and only legitimate end of government is to protect the citizen in the enjoyment of life, liberty, and property, and when the government assumes other functions it is usurpation and oppression.”

Yet here we are—being told by politicians, the media, and educators that our highest duty is to “protect democracy.” Schools gloss over constitutional limits. The press ignores federal overreach. Congress funds wars, silences dissent, shields the guilty, and enriches corporations—all beyond its authority. And still, they wave the banner of “democracy.”

This is not education. It’s propaganda. In fact, since the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012, it is perfectly legal for the federal government to direct propaganda at its own citizens. Calling America a “democracy” is part of that campaign.

Now, is Tuberville himself guilty of treason for parroting this rhetoric? No. Maybe? But he’s playing the part of what Lenin once called a “useful idiot”—repeating language that erodes the very system he swore to defend.

The truth is simple. America doesn’t need to “save democracy.” We need to restore our Constitutional Republic. That means holding government accountable to its enumerated powers and nothing more.

As Patrick Henry said: “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people; it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.”

That restraint has collapsed. And until we demand a return to first principles, Washington will continue its usurpations, hiding tyranny behind the language of “democracy.”

Alabama has a chance to lead the way back. As governor, I would order a review of every statute on the books to see if it aligns with our Constitution. If it doesn’t, it goes. We don’t need more government. We need lawful government—limited, accountable, and bound to the will of the people through the rule of law.

Our Founders gave us the blueprint. Our Constitutions—both federal and state—are still here. What we lack is the courage to enforce them.

Have the courage!

Ken McFeeters is a Republican candidate for Governor of Alabama. Ken is a former congressional candidate for Alabama's 6th district and Past President of the Mid-Alabama Republican Club.

Opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Alabama Gazette staff or publishers.