Zell Miller's speech last night

I've spent roughly the same amount of time watching the Republican National Convention as I did watching the Democrat National Convention a few weeks earlier: meaning, none at all. Nor have I really kept up with any coverage about it, except that the Bush twins told some really bad jokes and Ah-nuldt stopped short of bringing Dana Carvey back for a "Saturday Nite Live" sketch.

But a little while ago I read Zell Miller's speech from last night and, though I've yet to be convinced that Bush should be trusted again with the Oval Office, it must be said that Miller is by far one of the most passionately effective speakers of our day. He should get bigtime props for last night's speech no matter where ya are on the political spectrum (even from those of us off of it).

Zell Miller is pure Georgia boy. I first heard about him when he spoke at the Democrat National Convention in 1992 but don't think I really understood his charm until I began driving over to Georgia on a regular basis to date the girl who later on became my wife. Every now and then Zell Miller would come into conversation between someone down there and myself and it made a real impression on me how beloved a figure he is. I've now come to understand why that is.

Agree with him on some things or not, Miller is still one of the scarce few statesmen in this country who sincerely means what he says and has enough confidence to let the chips fall where they may. Whatever he believes in, he's not a pretender about it. It's a shame that most other politicians/statesmen/whatever don't feel compelled to follow his example, or that of Ron Paul or Tom Tancredo or a few others that are in high office today.