Zell Miller and the GOP

Thursday, September 2nd, 2004 | Politics

On the way in to work today my carpool buddy talked about a Democrat that spoke at the GOP convention this week.. I had missed that and was really interested to see what it was all about and what would cause a member of my party to support the President. So over lunch I did a little digging around and found out that the comments were those of Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia… Upon further digging I found this interesting article on Slate. Most interesting was this paragraph:


Since then Miller has supported Bush on virtually every major Senate vote: No Child Left Behind, drilling for oil in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge, the Patriot Act, the GOP Homeland Security Department plan, the Iraq war, and a partial-birth abortion ban. Two years ago, he stopped caucusing with Democrats and now meets each week with Senate Republicans. More than that, Miller churns out more elaborate anti-liberal invective than most actual Republicans. Earlier this year he published A National Party No More, a long indictment of effete Democratic values and the party’s subservience to groups like NARAL and the trial lawyers. During the Democratic Convention last month, Miller agreed to be a member of a Republican National Committee “truth squad.” And while just three years ago Miller praised John Kerry as “one of this nation’s most authentic heroes, one of this party’s best-known and greatest leaders, and a good friend,” today he belittles Kerry as “so out of touch with the average American it would be comical if it were not so dangerous.”

I also found this interesting tidbit on Vote-Smart.org:

Year Voting Participation Party Support Presidential Support
2003 77% 9% 97%
2002 92% 40% 92%
2001 95% 42% 82%
2000 100% 25% 100%

All very interesting… And, quite frankly, if the party has drifted away from the ‘middle’ that Zell referrs to toward a more ‘Dean-Gore-Pelosi-Sharpton-Kerry’ bent then THANK GOD for that… And if he still wants to be a part of a party that has drifted away from his ideals as a political tool more power to him – the party is open to any American who chooses to join. I just hope that when he speaks at events like this as a representative of the Democratic Party that people see him for who he is.

4 Comments to Zell Miller and the GOP

Shwa
September 2, 2004

He has Republican coodies! I hope he doesn’t touch any other Democrats!

Patrick
September 2, 2004

Do a search for his appearance on Hardball with Chris Matthews last night. He challenged Chis to a duel! He’s a nut case who is just trying to sell books.

myke
September 6, 2004

I was horrible at how Zell Miller acted both during his speech and during an interview with Chris Matthews of MSNBC’s Hardball program. He seemed so angry and full of hate. And talking about a flip-flopper. This is the same man who gave the keynote address at the Dem convention just before Clinton initially was elected.

BoiFromTroy
September 8, 2004

Who is dividing America?!?

Zell Miller made a point last week in his passionate speech that the Democratic Party has abandoned him. Looking at his voting record, it is clear that the Democratic Party has abandoned more than Zell Miller. According to Vote-Smart, Zell…