Gov. Jesse Ventura (I-Minnesota) Considering Senate Bid To Unseat Incumbent Democrat Paul Wellstone

The Sunday New York Times ^ | December 2, 2001 | Election/Government Section

[codebreaker]

To hear the political buzz in Minnesota-and that is all it is-Gov. Jesse Ventura is giving some thought to trying to unseat Sen. Paul Wellstone next year instead of seeking re-election.

Governor Ventura, a famously vocal independent, usually has a comment on just about everything.

But of his political future, he has said nothing definitive, refusing not only to address the Senate rumour but also to say whether he will run for a second term as governor.

[cake_crumb]

"Actually during last years Presidential campaign Ventura was quite deferential to McCain and Gore. Ventura is no conservative, but a loud mouthed buffoon"

Rats...I hope he's changed his mind about those two "war heros".

"Anybody who calls an abortion the same thing as an appendectomy doesn't have it all upstairs"

He really said that??

[Dan C]

I expect Coleman to self-destruct even without Ventura in the race. There is a good reason that not a peep has been uttered by the Wellstone camp about Coleman: He is a very beatable candidate - with TONS of baggage.

Of Coleman's baggage: Video and audio of Coleman endorsing and praising Wellstone, Clinton and others. Rumors and insinuations about inappropriate influence over the Sherrif's department. And while he sends out pictures of he and his family all smiles, he and his wife are essentially separated with both of them bedding down with other people at the moment. I understand from my sources that at least one of the two major newspapers here have the names of two of the women Norm has been "visiting" lately.

That is a partial list of the damaging things on Norm Coleman at the moment. Most of those things wouldn't harm a Democrat in this state, but in a state where Liberals and Roosevelt Dems rule, a Republican who loses even a percentage of his base is toast. As someone who is not only part of Norm's local base in the St. Paul area but also fairly involved in the Republican party - Norm Coleman's support is weak and lackluster.

I'm betting that another governor, Arne Carlson will jump into this senate race. Arne is the ONLY person to ever defeat Wellstone in a statewide race (They ran against each other for Auditor - and Arne kicked Wellstone all over the place.) Arne is a perceived "liberal Republican" but he has shown he can win repeatedly in a moderate to liberal state like Minnesota.

I'm trying to help put together a draft committee for Arne Carlson. If folks are interested, let me know.

[afuturegovernor]

Question: What has Paul Wellstone done that a RINO Senator from Minnesota would have done differently?

According to the ACU, Wellstone is the most liberal member of the Senate (worst than Kennedy or Leahy).

Anything would be an improvement. I'm from the wing of the party that doesn't write half the country off as being too liberal to win in - we have Gordon Smith in Oregon and Rick Santerum in PA as examples where we have won in places "too liberal". I don't believe in symbolic victories either. You have to win elections to set the agenda. We must WIN more elections.

[ContraryMary]

Replacing Wellstone with Ventura would make absolutely no difference in the Senate. In the end Ventura would be much more likely to caucus with the Dems than with the Pubs. This is much ado about nothing.

[vladog]

OH BOY. I can`t wait for another 'nut' to join the US Senate. I`m just sorry there are only a 100 of them. Just think how many 'nuts' we could have in the public eye, if there say a 1000 Senators.

[ContraryMary]

Garrison Keillor hates him, that makes Ventura ok in my book.

LOL!

I remember when Keillor used to do his radio show out of the (I can't remember the name!) theater in downtown St. Paul. There are times when I miss Minnesota (I left in '84).

[JZoback]

"as does not make this egomaniac a conservative"

I, in no way form or fashion claimed Jesse was a conservative.

My point is: He would be better than Wellstone, almost anyone would be better than Wellstone.

You did get the "egomaniac" part correct though.

[RJL]

Jesse is good on the Second Amendment.

Maybe. While Jesse tries to talk a good game on the Second Amendment, he was very quick to back down when the liberals came after him on gun issues.

[ChadGore]

Didn't Ventura drive out baseball and football ?

[Irish Eyes]

Jessie's running would only be good if he ran as a Republican. We must take back the Senate.

[Sci Fi Guy]

Question: What has Paul Wellstone done that a RINO Senator from Minnesota would have done differently?

Wellstone is my example of an honest liberal, and for that I'm greatful

Actually he's not so honest. He has broken several campaign promises (i.e. pac money, not to run more than twice, etc.)

If we had one more RINO, then the jerk from VT never would have switched parties. Republicans would have a 2 vote majority in the senate. Be able to control the agenda, and at the very least Bush's judicial nominations would have been voted in.

[Southack]

I'd have to say that this rumor has at the very least upped Wellstone's pucker-factor (and Daschle's). An Independent in a divided Senate would have an ENORMOUS amount of power, especially if he/she was willing to jump between Dem/Repub caucuses to radically alter power on a regular basis.

Ventura in Minnesota would also mean that the Democrats would have to devote LARGE portions of their national funds to what they had once considered a sure race...

[Wissa]

Interesting comments on this thread. A lot of comments from people that don't seem to be Minnesotans. Those people should realize that 1)Jesse took a lot more votes away from Coleman than he took from Humphrey, 2)he campaigns conservative, but his social agenda is VERY liberal, 3)he campaigned on given back the surplus, then backed down on it and spent it wastefully on stuff like light-rail so it couldn't be returned to the taxpayers, 4)his only concern about the second amendment is how it applies to himself. As long as he can personally carry, he does not care in the least about getting concealed carry to be the law of the state for all citizens of the state. 5)His staff is VERY liberal. One of them was cited for exposing himself in a gay steamroom. The guy is still on Jesse's staff. I certainly won't say that Jesse is anywhere near as bad as Clinton, but the "convince people you're a centrist and govern as a sleazeball liberal" seems to fit both.... IMO.

[Zeroisanumber]

I'm also from MN, and I don't think that Ventura or Coleman really have much of a chance of defeating Wellestone. First, Ventura's not a maverick dark-horse candidate anymore. People here have had time to figure out what he's about, and I, like many others, have decided not to vote for him again.

Second, Wellestone can run this ad with great success: "Remember what happened to us the last time Minnesota had TWO freshman Senators? I'll save you the local political history lesson...we got totally robbed by the government." And it's true, the last time we had two freshman senators (Grams/Wellestone) we got $.43 back for every dollar that we sent to Washington. This compared to $2.21 for S.Carolina, $2.12 for Mississippi, and $1.68 for Georgia.

Third, this is one of the bluest of the blue states, last real state in the country where progressive Republicans and practical Democrats still work together in relative peace. It's possibly the only place in the country where a man like Wellestone can find a home and still be expected to remain an honest politician.

Ventura is too loud for MN, a place that's deeply rooted in German/Scandanvian taciturn humor. Coleman has a chance (he did bring back hockey), but the Republicans out here are suspicious of his former-Democrat status and the Dems don't like his anti-abortion stance. Wellestone might take a little flack for his "two-term" promise, but if he's forthright about why he decided to run again (as Wellestone is wont to be) then this should die down early in the campaign.

In short: I'll be voting Coleman, but I think that he has a better chance at taking Dayton's seat in the next election than he does this year. Ventura will most likely be political history come next fall.

[Jethro Tull]

#51) "If we had one more RINO, then the jerk from VT never would have switched parties.

So RINO's are a good thing for the GOP?

I'll tell you friend, the sooner you expell these dogs from your 'big tent' the more solid the Republican political base will become...

[Kevin Curry]

Wellstone needs to be repaced, but not by Gov. Jesse Ventura (Idiot-Minnesota).

[mwl1]

Replacing Wellstone with Ventura would be of no significance, you assert.

Wrong. Ventura is very liberal on social issues but pretty conservative on fiscal and defense/national security matters. Ventura would be a huge improvement over Wellstone. For that matter, ANYBODY would be an improvement over Wellstone.

[Kevin Curry]

2)he campaigns conservative, but his social agenda is VERY liberal, . . .

He's closer to being a goofball libertarian than a true conservative. No wonder the rabble is huzzahing and cheering him on this thread. They smell one of their own.

He also despises the conservative Christian voter base and buys into the gay-rights agenda. Log Cabin Republicans (Lib-Dem sappers in the ongoing war on America) would love to see him win.

[Sci Fi Guy]

So RINO's are a good thing for the GOP?

When it's a choice between a liberal democrat(who votes liberal 100% of the time) and a Rino (who votes liberal 80% of the time.---YES Like it or not there are parts of this country that won't vote for a conservative.

The country would be better off with the Republicans in control of the senate. We would be getting Good Judges confirmed, and the conservative agenda would have a much better chance of becoming law. If we need a few Rino's to gain control of the senate, then lets do it.

Who would you prefer in the Senate? Lazio or HC? If Lazio had beaten HC for the NY senate. The republicans would have never lost control of the senate. Yes, We would have had another Rino in the senate. (I believe that lazio was 50-50% liberal /conservative.) but we would control the agenda. Which today means judges, national Defense, war on terrorism, etc

We stand a very good chance of regaining control of senate in 2002. Partly because we have 6 - 8 Rinos. If you want to give those seats to the democrats, we may never control the senate.