Zell Miller has passed away, the Associated Press reports, quietly bringing to a close the life of one of the most unique, outspoken, and blistering politicians in recent memory.
An archetype of the long-extinct blue dog Democrat, Miller served as governor of Georgia before becoming a senator. A retired Marine, Miller supported the Iraq War and former President George W. Bush’s re-election bid in 2004, even delivering a keynote address at that year’s Republican National Convention.
That speech is worth a watch and is still blisteringly remarkable, even when compared to the current tenor of American politics. But what is truly remarkable, setting Miller apart for all eternity, is that time he challenged Chris Matthews to a duel on air. If the host of MSNBC’s “Hardball” had actually been face-to-face with Miller, it could’ve come to that.
Miller would admit afterwards that he “detested” Matthews for his “know-it-all attitude and his bullying way of interviewing.” It’s worth wondering how that firebrand would respond to cable today and to the creatures like Jim Acosta of CNN, who thrive off of it.
