Million lost
The story in the Oklahoman about E. Z. Million, who died Saturday in Norman, focuses on his occasional runs for political office and his Great Cause: getting OU-Texas out of the Cotton Bowl and into a home-and-home structure.
Tom Elmore once told me something else about Elmer Zen Million (his real name), and since he first posted it here, I figure it’s no secret:
EZ is definitely a different kind of guy. He’s also a seasoned statistician and analyst. He’s got a pretty good head for political strategy, as well. I’d suggest that if EZ had been running Bob Sullivan’s campaign (instead of whoever-in-the-world Sullivan HAD running it…) that Bob would at least be in a runoff with Utah Ernie Istook this morning.
Notable among EZ’s efforts was his years-early warning in the 90s that we were about to lose our 6th congressional seat. He offered strategies to keep it, but Gov. Keating was not interested — instead, he reportedly walked out of a meeting with EZ on the subject without explanation. Part of Million’s analysis involved the observation that no state that ever fell from six to five seats has ever gotten the sixth seat back.
Inevitably, the rest of us were too interested in OU-Texas to pay him any heed.
jen »
27 October 2009 · 7:41 am
i wonder what characters will turn up in the gov’s race this year. there’s always one or two colorful souls that make it interesting.
Blair »
27 October 2009 · 12:38 pm
I thoroughly enjoyed this post. Not so much a diamond in the rough, as it is, a diamond in a jewelry store. But a diamond nonetheless.
Mark »
29 October 2009 · 10:01 am
What strategies could there possibly be for keeping a congressional seat? Aren’t they apportioned by population? Could we count cows?
CGHill »
29 October 2009 · 10:56 am
Hell, I’d vote for cows. They’d probably do a better job, and they’re not all that interested in pork.