Did you know that Donald Trump mounted a brief campaign for the Reform Party presidential nomination in 2000 -- at the urging of Ventura?
I never heard that tidbit about Trump and Ventura. It doesn’t surprise me. I got to know Ventura a bit during his tenure as governor and I was at the capitol the day he was sworn in (as a guest of a neighbor who was sworn in as state rep that day). I tell you if he had told the legislature he wanted Lake Superior dyed orange they would have debated all night as to which shade would be best - they were that in fear of him at first due to his shocking win on election day. Minnesota, or at least greater MN (non-metro)is what I would describe as “old world” or “traditional FDR” democrat in that they have conservative roots but social justice flairs to their religious upbringings which tends to make them vote for democrats who “care” but in reality they are probably best described as confused independents. That’s why Rubio and Sanders won the state - why Ventura knocked the democrat in the race (Hubert Humphrey’s grandson no less) to a humiliating 3rd place. If any Republican could pull off a surprise win here, Trump has the best chance since Reagan in 1984 (which some say he did win except for voting anomalies that were given a pass by Reagan in order to let Mondale win his own state.)