Virginia, the South, and Zell Miller

[Sharm]

A few days ago, I noticed at electoralvote.com that a poll showed Georgia as being within 5 points. I assumed it was an abberation, and sure enough -- a new poll has Bush back up to 15 points or so. Bummer, in a way.

But, it appears that the Virginia polls -- showing Bush up by 3 points or thereabouts-- are real. Somewhere I hear that the demographics of that state in particular are trending our way. And, George Bush was out campaigning in Virginia recently, telling us: yep! Virginia is relatively close.

Can... we... actually... win Virginia?

Place it alongside Arkansas and (somewhat surprising to some) Tennessee... North Carolina... and, Louisiani is at least good at churning out conservative Democrats.

I ask this, because... if the Democratic Party makes some important gains in the South -- not only an important proposition for the health of the party (you want your party to have a good representation in every region of the country), but... it'd pretty well destroy smarmy old Zell Miller.

Says Zell Miller: "What people fail to understand is that this is just a moment in time, this is just one election. And after the Kerry defeat, I'm going to be around to put this party back together again."

We don't want that to happen.

Actually, a question about Zell Miller:

I've read and heard various Georgian Democrats say that he was "probably Georgia's greatest Governor", and give laudatory praise to his past if not his present.

But, I've also seen things like this: http://bealle.blogspot.com/2004/08/zig-zag-senility-and-anger.html

<i>Zell earned the nickname "Zig-Zag" while serving as Governor of our state for his flip-flops on everything from the rebel flag to the lottery. He was Chief of Staff for raging hatemonger and former Governor Lester Maddox. He endorsed wackjob Cynthia McKinney when she ran successfully(the first time) for house of Representatives. I mean, this guy is all over the place. His most recent book is an exercise in masturbatory self aggrandizement, and is a puzzling discourse unto itself.

...

On top of this, while he was Governor, he used valuable speech time to lambaste the writers behind Snuffy Smith.</i>

Which is true?

(I note the "endorsed Cynthia McKinney the first time", which strikes me as odd. And if true, it shatters my previous conception of the man... I had been willing to accept an image of a centrist Democrat, who helped make Bill Clinton -- who moved rightward over the decade... but if he backed McKinney -- and this is no statement whatsoever on McKinney's politics or DLC politics but just a statement on consistency -- than I've just been giving him too much credit.)