My Zell Miller theory

[Hippo_Tron]

People have often wondered how a guy who was a fairly progressive southern democrat turned into the model DINO as soon as he got to the US Senate. Well here's my theory.

Zell wanted to be a national leader. However, he got into national politics too late in his life to have a shot at that. Therefore, he decided he would do the next best thing, draw attention to himself.

By being a democrat who votes like a Republican and endorsing Bush, he can sell his book to thousands of freepers who say to themselves "Well, there's one democrat who gets it". He also gets to see his face on TV when they interview him about endorsing Bush.

The guy isn't a conservative or a liberal. He stands for absolutely nothing except for his own self-promotion. Luckilly, he's not running for re-election so we don't have to deal with him.

[rfkrocks]

1. Zell puts the blow in blowhard

What an egomanic-yeech thinking about him gives me the willies

[Gildor Inglorion]

2. You are exactly right!

As a Georgian who voted for ol' sorry-ass Zell six times (I should cut off the hand that pulled the lever, but I need it!), I agree with you 100%. With this addition: He was lieutenant governor for sixteen years and governor for eight. He thought he could walk on water, was used to being the center of attention. When he got to the Senate, he was one of 100, and a junior senator at that. A bitter pill for a massive ego. So in bitterness and greed, he hatched his evil, get-even, money-making scheme. The only thing Zell cares about is Zell. I wish I could think of something horrible to do to him without inconveniencing myself, but I can't come up with anything. Besides, I'm in Mississippi now; the state of lowest expectations. I can watch Georgia go straight to hell and make sympathetic clucking noises.

[SayitAintSo]

3. I think there is a lot of truth to what you say...

It explains the inconsistency in his positions / allegiances.

[John_H]

4. Zell's a bit less sophisticated than that.

1) You're right about his not being able to become a major player without luck and coattails, but plain and simple Zell is betting on a second Chimp term in which he expects to be Secretary of Education or something like that. Maybe he was even Angling for Veep if Cheney went away.

In any case, Zell's the kind of guy who's willing to sell out the party that literally got him where he is just to score a little more power. Pure slime. It's that simple.

[nose pin]

5. "He stands for absolutely nothing except for his own self-promotion."

I think you just described every politician in history.

[Vickers]

6. I think a lot of that is true, but I also feel that he reflects the very

real transition of many Georgians to the Republican Party (if not in fact, i.e. switching Party affilliation, then at least in votes).

I'm from Georgia originally, and this is one of the saddest things in my life.

[SharonAnn]

7. I've known a couple people who as they got older, becamae

rigidly right-wing in their views. Listened to Rush Limbaugh fanatically. Repreated the right-wing mantra all the time.

Couldn't understand what had happened. A couple of years after that started, they were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and a neurologist friend told me that one of the effects of Alzheimer's (and other things like mini-strokes) is that as the brain deteriorates, the person begins to lose the more complex reasoning skills and the ability to think empathically. This is often quite a while before the symptoms are so pronouced that the diagnosis is made.

Anyway, my thinking is that he's in the early stages of Alzheimer's.

[loathesomeshrub]

8. Reagan became a repuglican when he was 51. And he had

Alzheimers. Maybe there's something to that

[checks-n-balances]

9. That makes sense in ZZZell's case, but what's Dennis Miller's excuse?

BTW, this was a good thread with lots of insight. There had to be some kind of explanation for his embarassing behavior.