The weirdest race of this year's election Jesse (The Body) Ventura WON the Minnesota governor's race. Not just doing well, he's won, as an independant. The democrat was Skip Humphrey, Hubert's son. Record numbers of voters at the polls in Minnesota today. Lines for registration were consistently longer than the registered voter lines. Ventura, who has the worst grammar I've heard this side of the Mississippi, is leading 37% to 32%/30% of the Republican and Democrat candidates. He spent $300,000 on this campaign (compared to the millions of his opponents), traveled all over the state driving himself (mostly), and has (for two months now) only one full-time staff member. Some would like to blame the full moon, but I think it's all those newly registered voters he inspired, frankly. The folks at the polls in my town tonight told me that they had never had such a high voter turnout, even during presidential election years. Ventura ran on the Reform Party platform. Everyone expected Skip to win. The last week or so, Ventura began moving up in the polls from 18% up to the high 20-something%. The DFLers and IRs appear to be in shock. Ventura corrected Tom Brokaw when Brokaw asked if he wanted to be called Governor Ventura or Governor "The Body". Ventura said he changed the moniker to Jesse "The Mind" Ventura.... Ventura just gave his acceptance speech. Neither Humphrey nor Coleman have formally conceded. The jokes are flowing while House Majority leader remarked that fear is starting to sink in. "Nobody knows what to expect." One piece of info about Minnesota's Governor-elect Jesse Ventura: Yes, he was with the Reform Party -- but national Reform Party officials reportedly declined to provide much in the way of actual support. Let's put it this way: Ventura's campaign cost him $300,000. He put out some of the finest tv commercials that he's seen in a long time -- especially the summary of what he believes in, which apparently included lower taxes, a strong public school system, and his belief that Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones are two of the greatest bands of all history. Sounded remarkably like a snippet from "Bull Durham," apparently.) Doesn't sound like much of that money came from Reform Party purses outside Minnesota, at least at this report. Scuttlebut has it that the national Reform Party people were kinda leery of Ventura -- they may have underestimated his chances, they may have objected to his grammar (hi, -- don't worry, his lietenant guv will get after him right away! she's a schoolteacher, 40 years experience reportedly), or they might have thought that if he won, it might make Mr. Perot look kinda, um, unsuccessful or something. Tom Brokaw asked Ventura if this Minnesota governorship was a stepping stone to larger national races. Ventura said no, that he had watched Presidents, and noticed that when elected, they looked young and virile, but after four years, they'd aged about twenty. He said he'd stick with Minnesota. Ventura, in City Pages Sept 30, 1998: "I am a rock'n'roll guy. Warren Zevon, "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner"; I very much love Warren Zevon's music, not a great message but a definite message. CP: He seemed to be better when he was drinking. Ventura: Well, I'll tell you another statement; I think that rock'n'roll was better when they were doing drugs. They are all cleaned up now and you are not getting near the artistic merit you were getting in the '60s and early '70s. Governor Ventura represents the nightmare professional politicians of both parties have feared for years -- the return of the non-voter. Almost everything the parties have done for the last 30 years has been aimed at three things: (1) turn out your own base; (2) romance the "swing" vote (ingrates that they are); and (3) suppress all the rest, especially those who tend not to vote or even register anyway. I hope Jesse Ventura is less of a goofball than he appears to be. This is right out of Howard Stern territory, which may be fun but is also more than a bit dangerous. Ventura seems to be sort of a libertarian-populist. He'll probably be a disappointment--inexperience plus a passive attempt to sabotage him by the Demopublicans, but it's one of the very few bright spots this time around for third parties. Karen worked as a surveyor in Brooklyn Park during the time Ventura was mayor there and spent a lot time at city hall. I thought that despite Ventura's somewhat feral approach that he appealed to the working public. The police departments were very skeptical about his rhetoric until he began spending his Saturday nights riding in police cars to see firsthand what street crime was all about. Even his fiercest critics conceded that he's smart enough to institute policies that work as well or better than the status quo. Interesting does not even begin to describe this administration. If he can keep his ego in check, he might actually prove his critics wrong. His wife, btw, is a tireless advocate for special education and farming issues. Jesse "The Body" Ventura Article in yesterday's NYT : "Former Wrestler's Campaign Got a Boost From the Internet" http://search.nytimes.com/books/search/bin/fastweb?getdoc+cyber-lib+cyber-lib+24762+0+wAAA+Ventura His own website : http://www.jesseventura.org/ There's a really interesting dissonance between some of the out-of-state coverage of Ventura, and the coverage he's getting from the state's largest paper, the Minneapolis Star- Tribune http://www.startribune.com . A lot of the out-of-state stuff focuses on offhand comments and his failure to have a fully-staffed transition team humming away at computers within 48 hours of being elected. The coverage in the Star-Tribune (which certainly didn't endorse him) is much warmer. Perhaps this is just because Minnesotans are still enjoying a honeymoon; perhaps it's for other reasons. Certainly it's arguable that it's in Minnesotans' interest to extend him credit and it's in the interest of the political/journalistic class elsewhere to knock him over as quickly as possible. I actually don't have a firm opinion. But it's interesting to watch. Garrison Keillor had a funny comment on PHC-- He said that Minnesotans elected Jesse because he didn't sound like a politician, but a regular guy telling them what he thought. And that he was in the spotlight until Friday when Newt took over by resigning. And that Newt was going to go to Japan for 6 months, to study Sumo wrestling, and in one year come back and challenge Jesse "The Body" Ventura in a wrestling match for the governorship. To Jesse's credit, he is a former SEAL, and a straight-talking fellow. The latter, at least, is very rare in politics these days, and a damn refreshing change from the obfuscation of most pols. I think he'll do just fine, as long as he doesn't declare war on Wisconsin. He is not an idiot; he is not a crook. Jesse Ventura is not his real name. Ventura was born as John Janos. I believe Mister Ventura has a spouse. In one interview he said his wife said, after the election, "What have you gotten us into?" He wants the state of Minnesota to grow industrial hemp and to stay out of people's homes. He believes if folks want to be stupid to do whatever in their own homes, let 'em. Stop busting down peoples doors and trying to enforce morals. Let people live their lives. He favors medical marijuana usage. Discuss.

i am reserving judgement re: ventura/janos (whatever the hell his name is)... i was a fan of hubert humphrey's, in many ways... he was a good man, who embodied much of what is best (and much, too, of what is worst) in american politics... that being said, skip humphrey is easily one of the most boring politicians i've ever encountered (and that's a pretty select group)... (and what's this with a grown man going around calling himself 'skip'? he looks to be about 60 years old or so... should at least refer to himself as 'skipper', don't you think? just a little more dignified)... anyway, very interested to see what becomes of the big lug in minnesota...

If we are not the laughingstock of the world already, first an actor for president, now we have a clown in the white house and a professional wrestler as governor of Minnesota!!!

No, I disagree with Tim about being a "laughingstock". If the guy is sincere, then that is a vote for honesty, as opposed to electing people who say one thing and then do something else which to me is more shameful and embarrassing to the voters. The whole reason the latter keeps happening is that politicians are pressured to answer to what their image looks like and what their agenda sound like -- not what really works in practice. So this guy may be one of the first in a wave of real people giving re l answers -- even when it's "I don't know. Let's find out." which I think is a healthy approach to any decision or situation. Overall, I think it shows a move toward *less* dependence on "elected" leaders to run the government, and a shift toward people governing themselves. No matter who is occupying any particular office, it's still the schoolteachers, the basketball coaches, the Boy Scout leaders, the secretaries and librarians, etc. that keep the community and the world going. We need to acknowledge the leaders all around us, and not put excessive importance on one position over another. That is the first step toward trea ing people as equals, in keeping with both church and state standards on "loving our neighbors as ourselves" and "equal justice under law". After all, can you really have "equal rights" in a system where people outside the government give up their power to people inside government? If we are going to have true equality, true respect for all people equally, we need to humanize the government, to quit putting officials on pedestals as if they are supposed to "represent" anyone else but themselves, and to ore evenly disperse the powers and responsibilities among the people themselves. Otherwise, if we keep bowing down to figureheads who "look" like this image or that, how are we ever supposed to get any real work done? Emily Nghiem Houston Progressive Webzine www.houstonprogressive.org

Well, Jessie's back in the news, he said somehting in Playboy about religion being an opiate for the masses. Oct. 1 � A storm of criticism battered Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura on Friday after publication of a Playboy magazine interview in which he called organized religion "a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people." Reform Party Chairman Russ Verney told NBC News that Ventura "should remove himself from the Reform Party" and added that "our members are outraged." You can't say Jessie doesn't speak his mind or decide what to say based on opinion polls, like a lot of politicians.

He also said that the Navy's "Tailhook" scandal was "no big deal." He is not a politician. He says what he thinks, whether you like it or not. In your face honesty is seldom appreciated, so I have to hand it to those "You betcha" Minnesotans who struck a blow for openness in government by electing someone that whether for bad or good, will not lie to them.