Zell Miller loves to keep the (D) to hopefully have moderates and undecideds rub in our faces "See, there be a Democrat that doesn't support that."
No. He keeps the "D" because keeping it gets him occasional attention in the press. If he were an "R" or even a "C" (as are more in keeping with his outlook)...he would be just one of many.
And amusingly, Zell Miller as a Republican would be almost as laughable as Zell Miller as a Democrat. Because there are plenty of highly-intelligent Republicans. While Miller's politics might match theirs, his intellect surely wouldn't.
I still think we should do trades like in baseball. We'll trade you Miller, Lieberman and a Congressman to be named later for Olympia Snowe.
Screw you, we'll give you Chafee.
You already released Chafee.
You guys didn't pick him up on waivers, did you. I think we still technically own his rights.
Whatever, we'll give you Snowe and Mary Bono for Ben Nelson and Lincoln Davis.