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Tag Archive for 'Jesse Ventura'
I have never been a big fan of Jesse Ventura, but the common conception of him as a dumb ox is totally off base. Say what you will about Ventura, but he’s no dummy. Watch how he repeatedly just takes apart Elizabeth Hasselbeck on “The View” yesterday. Its actually a really impressive performance on his part. Hasselbeck is simply out of her league.
This is a couple days old, but I just got a chance to watch it and can I say something scary?: I agree with basically everything he said. He’s weird, no doubt, and he should work on talking in a different tone than a monotone low-yell, but from torture to Cuba to Wanda Sykes to Ms. California, he was dead on. And then he breaks out the poetry… and, well, Jesse Ventura everyone:
Tonight, great big needy attention whore former Governor Jesse Ventura will announce on Larry King Live whether or not he intends to run for the Senate against Norm Coleman and Al Franken. Our former Governor is certifiably puppies and ponies crazy, but he’s got a big ego and lord knows he’s willing to see if can be any more embarrassing to the people of Minnesota. Ventura and his quixotic run was on most everyones mind at this last weekends DFL State Central Committee meeting, with the general attitude being "$h^# what is he going to do now?"
Obviously I’m hoping that the Governor leaves his shenanigans out of this, but what I can take a little bit of comfort in is that he will not have the benefits that sealed up his ‘98 gubernatorial victory, namely that the press treated him like an affable distraction from two particularly uninspiring candidates. His tenure as governor was marked by an adversarial relationship with local media and I can only figure they won’t treat him with kid gloves this time.
And finally to the former Ciresi staffers anonymous bloggers at Draft Ciresi who are waiting with baited breath for Mike Ciresi to jump in the race — I’ve got to say I don’t think he will.
Jesse is going to announce his decision tonight, until then, all we can do is speculate. Personally, I still think he’s not going to run. I can’t imagine that Jesse actually wants to be a Senator. He might want to beat Norm and Al, but I don’t think he wants to spend six years in Washington. That being said, he might just be crazy enough to do it.
What do you think?
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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