ABC News’ Jack Tapper set my email box on fire this morning when he published a post entitled Jesse Ventura to Run for Senate. Tapper’s reporting is based off this piece by ace NPR reporter David Welna. A close listening to the interview, however, reveals that Tapper may have jumped the gun. Ventura tells Welna that won’t announce his decision until next week. Welna then provokes Ventura by suggesting that his flirtations with a Senate run are primarily designed to sell books. During his answer to Welna, Ventura says “I run because” (referring to his candidacy in the present tense) and also says “All you Minnesotans take a god hard look at all three of us.” Both seem to indicate a Ventura run, but both are hardly definitive.
Before listening to this interview, I thought the chances of Ventura actually running were less than 10%. Now, I’d say they are greater than 50-50. With this guy, however, I won’t really believe it until he files. If he does, we’re in for a helluva show.
UPDATE: Ventura tells the AP that Tapper is wrong. He didn’t announce that he is running. He says no one knows what he’s going to do, not even his wife. But, he adds, he did hide little clues all throughout his book (available at Barnes and Nobles everywhere).
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It’ll be interesting. Franken’s already completely fucked, of course, so it won’t change the outcome of the race. But the debates will be even funnier! At least if we have to put up with six more years of Pukeface Coleman, the road to hell will be amusing.
I agree Franken and Ventura are both screwed. Coleman wins, unfortunately. Minnesota will be the joke of the country this election.
Call me crazy, but I think if he runs lightning strikes twice. He’ll take personal and state embarrassment to a new level with a national stage.
Not only do I predict he’ll win, but I also predict that he’ll initially caucus with the democrats. I also predict after numerous stupid acts of self promotion he’ll get pissed and in a knee-jerk reaction will be caucusing with the republicans by the end of his second year. He’ll get pissed again and will caucus by himself and call for a unicameral C ongress by the end of year four. Angry white folks in the state of Minnesota and nationwide will be proud that they finally have a champion in Washington.
We DFLers only have ourselves to blame. We got cocky after the last election and the poll numbers since and figured we’d really rub salt in the eyes of the GOP by getting Franken elected. Think about it, it would be no different than the GOP in Connecticut thinking they could ram Ann Coulter into the Senate, Limbaugh in Florida, or Hannity/O’Reilly in New York. This one blew-up in our faces. Jesse wouldn’t touch this race and the GOP would have cut Norm off from funding if we had an Amy Klobuchar running.
I think he’ll be in, although it seems to be really shoddy reporting by the ABC blogger after listening to the interview.
I think that heads-up against Coleman, Franken loses anyway, so Ventura running is fine by me. In 98 there wasn’t an incumbent which undoubtedly helped Ventura win so this one will be harder but who knows. The Republican brand is shit and if Obama wins by 15 pts anything could happen- you don’t even need 40% of the vote to win in a true three way race.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/24195449.html?location_refer=Politically%20Connected
Oy. The echo chamber on this has started already. Check out the headline over at MN Indy:
“Is it a three-way? Ventura vows to run.”
We’re jumping the gun here.
When is the filing deadline so this can be put to rest one way or the other?
Cathy Wurzer and Eric Eskola are likely grateful being that this will make their show must see tv this coming Friday.
JohnLLewis, I believe the deadline is next Tuesday. Of course, that depends on what deadline you mean. Filing to run for election or Armageddon.
Seeing him run would be amusing, but only because there is a chance that he would face real media scrutiny this time around. Jesse’s snits are the most memorable thing about his time as Governor.
“But, he adds, he did hide little clues all throughout his book (available at Barnes and Nobles everywhere).” Sorry to be offensive but he is such a little bitch. Absolutely ridiculous.