Former Minnesota Governor Jesse "the Mind" (aka "the Body") Ventura has a new book coming out, entitled: "Don't Start the Revolution Without Me!". In the book, which is scheduled to be released on April 1st, Ventura writes:
"...I'm facing probably the most monumental decision of my 56 years on this planet. Will I run for president of the United States, as an independent, in 2008? Or will I stay as far away from the fray as possible, in a place with no electricity, on a remote beach in Mexico?"
Ventura goes on to say, "My outrage knows few bounds. I can't live with this apathy. I can't tell myself it's not happening."
Les Kinsolving of World Net Daily reported that Jesse Ventura enjoyed the highest approval rating (73%) of any Governor in the state's history.
A blogger by the handle of "The_Bammo" wrote:
"He is solidly pro-choice, no friend of religion (even vetoed a Pledge law), has stated approval for legalizing prostitution, approves of medical marijuana, supports public transportation and actively supports gay rights. His administration was even amenable to public school funding, just not the teachers' union. He has stated opposition to trade sanctions with Cuba."
Ventura is a strange blend of liberalism and libertarianism. Would he have the support of Libertarians? Or would his neo-liberalism be too much for more classic libertarian adherents?
Either way, Ventura may add flavor to what is turning out to be an exceptionally bland Presidential race between statists and socialists.
Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. Go Ron Paul!
Other articles by Jake Morphonios:
Statistics from the War on Children
The Federal Scheme to Destroy Father-Child Relationships
The Nuclear Option: How Men's Constitutional Rights Are Obliterated in Family Courts
©2008 Jake Morphonios, all rights reserved. You must have written permission from the author in order to republish this work.
Published: Friday, March 14, 2008
Last modified: Friday, March 14, 2008
The views expressed in this article are those of Jake Morphonios only and do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Jake Morphonios is solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
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Reader Comments:
Posted By: DigitalBob
Date: 2008-03-14 13:27:34
He's almost starting a little too late. He's going to hit the same roadblocks that Pat Buchanan did with the Reform Party: ballot access. Ross Perot was the last third party candidate to even get into the debates. There just isn't the network. The various state Independence parties have "delivery of service" and "honesty in government" as their platform planks. They are more of "none of the above".
One the hardest parts of keeping the Reform Party together was staying away from social issues. That was the only way you could get social liberals in the same room with a paleo-conservative like Pat Buchanan. If the top issues for the campaign were jobs and the value of the dollar, the public would given Ventura a pass on those other things. I would.
If Ventura can say the right things and get some air time, he may end up with more popular vote than the Libertarian Party. But sadly, I think the two headed monster of Democrats and Republicans will get all the electoral college votes.
Now, who would you want for Ventura's running mate? I would be interested to see his positions on national issues. I may have to get his book.
Thanks for the heads up!
Posted By: Jake Morphonios
Date: 2008-03-14 13:41:20
While I like some of Ventura's brashness toward government interference, I don't like his strong support of public funding for various social programs. I can't figure out which principles he rests his positions upon. He seems to be very contradictory and I don't believe I would vote for him, though I would support his candidacy to broaden options for voters (and stick it to the Dems and Reps).
In his book, Ventura mentions Robert Kennedy Jr. as a preferred running mate.
Posted By: nuclear G
Date: 2008-03-14 14:08:53
At this point, my dog has more appeal and offers more hope than any of the three stooges we have to pick from. Personally, I'm writing in Ron Paul. The rest of you can be held irresponsible for choosing any one of these elitist mouthpieces.
I am pleased when ANY other possibility is offered - Ralph Nader, Jesse Ventura - just for the chance to hear some TRUTH against the background noise of bullshit. It is actually painful to listen to any of the so-called "top" candidates with their unspecific, patronizing gestures of "change".
I say "BRING HIM ON!". He won't win - because none of them "win"... they are handpicked, groomed by elitists and nutured to become robots who talk about peace out of one side of their mouth while supporting the status quo ownership class to rape and plunder the globe. Sell outs. Traitors. Liars. Assholes.
Jesse, if I were you, I would stay in Mexico and let this apple rot. It's full of worms anyway. You could point out some truths - like Jesus, Ghandi, Kennedy, MLK, John Lennon... oh well.
Really, there's nothing you could do when two thirds of the American Public actually are stupid enough to support the "myths and ledgends" of the two party system with it's FED-powered war machine and it's puppet candidates competing to be CLASS president.. They have selective hearing - the truth part is somehow out of radar. Interference is all they hear - and interference is what Government does best.
For J.V. to assume he could be of help would be like showing up at the scene of an accident. The two parties have hit each other head-on and become one party. You can't tell them apart - it's a real mess.
You try to stop the bleeding - while the conjoined person you are trying to help takes out a knife and starts stabbing themselves in the leg. That is how naive, gullible, infatuated and retarded the media-led public really is. Noserings anyone? Otherwise, Ron Paul would be in the top 3. If the intellect of the American public is the determining factor of anything other than what to buy or watch on TV - we are doomed to continual war, a usery economy, GMO foods, pollution, destuction of ecosystems and cultures, genocide... the same old list. Funny how everyone offers a "change" - but the problems get worse not better. We are fodder.
I'm just trying to be positive here.
Posted By: American Citizen
Date: 2008-03-14 21:47:35
Jesse Ventura + Ron Paul-VP = WE WIN
Posted By: Winning08
Date: 2008-03-16 11:37:24
To the American Citizen, I agree totally with you, people want change, Jesse is smart and popular, Paul beside him could teach him more about certain impotrant issues like monetary and foreign affairs. He could at the same time be his body guard... Ron Paul should even have announced Jesse as VP earlier in the campain. But what is done is done, and I can see those two getting along with mutual respect, a team of integrity, honesty, constitutionalist, antiwar, it's like Ying Yang.
It would be a team everybody would want to see, after 16 years of the same ol' b.s., how refreshing. Please Ron, don not immediately say no, think about the "noise" that it would bring.
Posted By: bernie
Date: 2008-03-20 12:21:51
Reverend Wright's Rage supported by media response to Ventura, Obama and McKinney?
I am as offended as many by Rev. Wright's more controversial comments, and I don't support Obama or former Congresswoman McKinney's independent Presidential campaign, but my faith that the double standard on racial matters has passed is shaken by the public response to Wright & Obama, and now by the response to Ventura vs. the response to McKinney.
Now Jesse Ventura is talking about launching an idependent Presidential campaign. If the media gives considerable coverage to that story, while Cynthia Mckinney (who served multiple terms in Congress and in other offices) is ignored, I think it will support Wright's contention that the double standard still exists. Ventura is a white male, and McKinney a black woman who thinks Bush should be impeached and that we should pull out of Iraq pronto. McKinney's positions are held by a lot of white liberals who get a lot of attention for their causes ... but they seem content to let McKinney be ignored.
Those of us who support gay rights don't turn against Catholic candidates who support gay rights because their pastors denounce gay rights, yet many liberals seem to be turning against Obama based on what his pastor says.
These combinations of factors seem to indicate that the double standard that Wright rages against is not as long gone as I had thought. I'm not saying that excuses racist comments by anyone, including Wright; just that it is something to consider in evaluating his comments and Obama's refusal to terminate his personal relationship with Wright (I suspect Wright would be truer to himself and Obama if he endorsed McKinney but remained friends with Obama -- not much different than McCain and Kerry, or JFK and Barry Goldwater, being personal friends but political opponents.)
Posted By: Good combo?
Date: 2008-04-03 18:56:49
I think that a Ventura/Barr ticket would be a great combo.
One leans liberal, the other conservative. They run on challenging the issues that are most important to Americans. Politically speaking, it can pull from right and left. It would easily gain the nomination of the LP, and probably many of the other independent parties.
Posted By: David S
Date: 2008-04-06 23:23:24
I will still take Ron Paul first but Jesse Ventura has impressed me with some of the things he's said in interviews. [link edited for length]
He is supprisingly good in debates. And when he doesn't know something he is not afraid to say "I don't know" rather than handing out a line of BS.