Discussion for article #226462
Seriously? That’s how you want to present this story? A two term Dem governor of Georgia that got the HOPE scholarship passed and implemented, and one term senator, and you want to reach back 40 years and use that paint brush?
Zell is nuts. That should come as no surprise to anyone that caught him offering to duel Tweety. He is also very old. There is plenty of history between him and her father, so getting his endorsement is not all that surprising. And,in his neck of the woods (quite literally) he still carries quite a bit of political weight.
Miller also endorsed Deal over Carter in the governor’s race, (that’s an example of why he is known as Zig Zag Zell), who was also once upon a time a Democrat (that time being while Zell was governor).
The bottom line is, she is trying to run a bi partisan campaign (yes you can read that Blue Dog). Zell doesn’t carry a whole lot of weight state wide anymore, but why shouldn’t she take it? A well known ex state pol known for zig zagging all over the political spectrum is sort of exactly the person she wants endorsing her campaign.
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“Why Is Dem Nunn Touting Endorsement From An Erstwhile Segregationist?”
Uh…cause it’s the South?
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Same reason Cochran went after African Americans. Because she wants to win.
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She’s really down 10 points??? wow
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TPM hire a headline writer away from Buzzfeed?
What’s next, referring to Nunn as the candidate of the Democrat Party?
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No. She is down about 5-6 points currently. Perdue is still riding a bit of bounce from winning the run off primary.
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They’re only pointing out that embracing a former segregationist is risky.
The man won state wide election twice in the 80s. Democrats in the state are quite comfortable voting for him. And the HOPE scholarship is his; he fought long and hard for it. Its a hard sell to call someone who spent that much political capital to make happen, is someone that still believes in separate schools.
Obama used to smoke pot in high school, but we don’t call him a pothead do we? I am pretty sure the tens of thousands that we have arrested for pot possession since he has been in office don’t.
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Perdue’s “bump”, seems to have come recently, between the beginning and the end of July. My bet is that white Georgia voters, most of whom are conservative, are now starting to notice that there will be an election in November and have figured out which candidate has the “R” after their name. They are now weighing in.
Nunn appears to be another one of those conservadems, who believes that leaning right will help you get elected when GOP voters, especially, would rather vote for a real Republican. Democrats just get disillusioned because their candidate is viewed as an ersatz Democrat.
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Did Zell ever publicly condemn his segregationist past?
http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/government-politics/zell-miller-b-1932
A few years later, he took leave from his teaching responsibilities to serve as executive secretary for Lester Maddox during Maddox’s governorship (1968-71). Maddox was elected on a pro-segregation platform, but Miller has been credited with exerting a moderating influence on the governor. Miller encouraged Maddox to make African American appointments in his administration and to focus on building the state’s higher education system, advice that Maddox followed.
The man was the keynote speaker at the Democratic convention in '92, for goodness sakes. And you want to run a purity test because he worked for Maddox back in the early 60s??
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I’m not reinforcing nor mitigating the writer’s prognostication. I’m simply suggesting it’s relevant.
I’m afraid Nunn will be another John Barrow Blue Dog, but with the Senate in genuine jeopardy, you bet I’ll work my @$$ off to get her elected. She’s far from my dream candidate, and that’s exactly why she has a chance of winning.
You are suggesting its relevant because the writer suggested its relevant. Yet I just pointed out to you that the extent of his segregationist views is he worked for Lester Maddox at at time with the Maddox machine owned most of state government.
There are plenty of things you can say about Miller. That particular one doesn’t really hold much water.
If a Miller endorsement becomes an issue for Nunn, it won’t be because he worked for Lester Maddox over 50 years ago. It will be because Miller is his own kind of nuts (see dueling Chris Matthews), not for working for one half a century ago.
I take personal offense at any segregationist, current or past who hasn’t renounced their bigotry.