Posted on 05/16/2008 8:27:13 AM PDT by seanmerc
Former Gov. Jesse Ventura said he "may" file the necessary papers to run for the U.S. Senate in the November election.
If he doesn't, his former campaign manager will.
Both are hinting at a run against Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and likely Democratic candidate Al Franken this fall. The only question seems to be: Will it be Ventura, or the man who helped him become governor?
Ventura's former campaign manager, Dean Barkley, now works as a bus driver and gardens as a hobby.
"Ear to the dirt, listening to the pulse of the people," he joked Thursday.
But Barkley, who was appointed to the Senate for 62 days after Paul Wellstone died in 2002, said he is serious about going to Washignton again.
"I don't like either of the candidates out there," he said. "And if no one else will do it, I will."
As for Ventura, he refused to answer questions Thursday from reporters who showed up for his public book signing at Mall of America.
"Are you running for Senate?" a reporter asked.
"You're the media," Ventura mouthed before taking a question from someone else.
He eventually talked about his plans anyway.
"Now you're asking me to stop my latest quest, which is surfing," he said when asked about running for office again.
Ventura told the crowd that "none of the above" would be a better choice than Norm Coleman or Al Franken.
"I may go down and file," he added. "I will be "none of the above, and if I win, I'll go to Washington.
The Humprhey Institute's Larry Jacobs said the timing just might be right ... again.
"If it's Ventura, all bets are off," he said. "Voters are angry. And they're not very happy with the parties and the candidates in front of them."
He noted Ventura beat Coleman once before: Coleman was Ventura's Republican opponent when Ventura was elected governor, as an independent, in 1998.
Barkley said he and Ventura will talk to each other and then decide which one of them will run. He said they'll make the decision sometime before the filing deadline of July 15.
"Jesse's got first dibs," Barkley said.
As for Ventura's refusal to talk to the local media, he explained he felt he was treated unfairly when he was governor, and by not commenting now, "then it doesn't make you money."
He added: "And by stopping you from making money, that makes my heart feel good."
Jesse was too scared to run for a 2nd term as Governor. There is no manner in which he beats a sitting Senate incumbent with another candidate splitting the moonbat vote. You can take that to the bank.
Pretty good points, I do tend to agree. Jesse is a piece of work.Both good and bad.
Ventura is a joke and the people of this state now know it.
I’m furious with Coleman over his obstinate refusal to support ANWR drilling but right now I have no choice in my vote.
Venture is self-described as pretty socially liberal. Is that an improvement over Coleman?
Ventura's always hated the fact that Norm is his intellectual superior. I wouldn't be surprised that he's too slow to figure out that his run would help Norm win.
I think it’s about 50/50 for the Senate seat, but I have no idea what’ll happen with a third party candidate. For the sake of full disclosure, I have personal issues with Norm Coleman, so part of me wants him to lose, but obviously having a liberal dunce like Franken isn’t what I want either.
If you go back and look at the stats for the 6th race in 2006 (I’m sure you’ve got ‘em), the combined total for the DFL and IP candidate that year were higher than Bachmann’s. The Independence candidate from 2006 is running as the DFL candidate this year. If he can hold onto both his votes and the DFL votes, he’ll win. She’s way over the top with some of her rhetoric on social issues, not the kind thing that sells well in Minnesota.
I know the 3rd district quite well - I grew up in Edina, so its my home district. This is one of the few authentic swing districts in the country, and the DFL’s been creeping up bit by bit. If they continue at that rate, they’ll win this year.
I don’t really think that Obama will win by 20 points, but I think he’ll win by more than Kerry, which I recall was about 10 points.
Wow, a step down from cigars with Tom Dashole.
Then again it’s an honest job compared to the Senate.
John Kerry 1,445,014 51.09%
George W. Bush 1,346,695 47.61%
3.48 points, not close to 10.
Guess it was closer than I remember. Still, there’s this:
Amy Klobuchar 1,278,849 58.1
Mark Kennedy 835,653 37.9
So true, oh so true.
Unfortunately, with the current crisis, we can't even afford to lose the mediocre RINOs (especially when we stand to lose at minimum, 3, and as many as 10 Senate seats). I really don't care for the RINO up for reelection in my state, either. He'll be handily reelected because the Dems aren't challenging him, so I can afford to cast a protest vote by leaving that race blank. If it was seriously challenged, it would put me in a quandary like '06 when I equally detested the RINO who had bought the nomination. As it was, he ended up being the only new Republican Senator elected that cycle (Corker of TN). I think ultimately Franken has too much baggage to put himself past Coleman, and Coleman doesn't have that kind of baggage, nor as much as Rod Grams did in 2000.
"If you go back and look at the stats for the 6th race in 2006 (I’m sure you’ve got ‘em), the combined total for the DFL and IP candidate that year were higher than Bachmann’s."
Actually, no. She got a smidge over 50% of the vote (151k to 150k for the combined DFL & IP candidates).
"The Independence candidate from 2006 is running as the DFL candidate this year. If he can hold onto both his votes and the DFL votes, he’ll win."
Actually, no. The IP candidate was John Paul Binkowski in '06. You're confusing him with Elwyn Tinklenberg. Tinklenberg ran in the '06 DFL primary and dropped out after he lost the party endorsement to Patty Wetterling. He was considered a stronger general candidate, however. The problem is that Tinklenberg is not the only one in the race, as there is an IP candidate in the race as well, and Bachmann is already the incumbent, so it's going to be difficult to dislodge her with 2 opposing candidates.
"She’s way over the top with some of her rhetoric on social issues, not the kind thing that sells well in Minnesota."
I'm afraid I find her practically perfect in her stances. I would kill to have someone of her calibre representing me, unfortunately I'm in a rodent district with a former so-called moderate liberal whom went moonbat since he relocated to this district, and it hasn't gone Republican since President Ulysses Grant's 1872 reelection. Our failure to embrace solid Conservative values (both Social and Economic) is precisely why we're losing our grip. Running to the left never works and kills us for the long run. That's why the party has died in parts of the country.
"I know the 3rd district quite well - I grew up in Edina, so its my home district. This is one of the few authentic swing districts in the country, and the DFL’s been creeping up bit by bit. If they continue at that rate, they’ll win this year."
I do think we may hold it, albeit by a very narrow margin, but perhaps tied to the performance of the Presidential candidates.
"I don’t really think that Obama will win by 20 points, but I think he’ll win by more than Kerry, which I recall was about 10 points."
Actually, it was only 3% (51-48%). It was even narrower in 2000 (Gore-48%; Dubya-46%, with Nader getting 5%). McCain actually has the potential to outperform him there if he plays his cards right. If he does outright carry MN, that will be a helluva shocker, since no Republican Presidential candidate hasn't carried it since Nixon in 1972 (although Reagan carried 5 out of the 8 Congressional districts in 1984).
With the collapse of the GOP that year, even the unpopular Mark Dayton, had he chose to run again, probably would’ve been reelected. That was the problem with 2006. A ton of unpopular rodents and moonbats were either carried to reelection or upset incumbents simply because of the national anti-GOP tide. Had the race been in 2004, Mark Kennedy probably would’ve beaten the moonbat Klobuchar and Pawlenty would’ve had a wider win (remarkable that he managed to win again in such a dreadful year, but he should probably be grateful that the moronic ex-RINO turned rodent running mate of Mike Hatch’s, Judi Dutcher, opened her ignorant mouth on the campaign trail, since that was just enough to keep them from winning outright).
I can’t vote for Coleman. When I said personal issues, I meant personal. Let’s just say he has his own zipper problem, and he’s acted inappropriately towards several female friends of mine, including one who I was dating at the time. So far this has to yet come back and haunt him, but someday it might, as might his “aspiring actress” wife who doesn’t live with him. I can’t vote for him, I won’t vote for Franken, and that’s why I welcome the entrance of Ventura or Barkley.
As far as Michele Bachmann, it’s not personal, it’s political. I think the Christian Right has ruined the Republican Party and is one the main reasons I’m embarrassed to even admit being a Republican. I don’t think there’s anything conservative about them. I agree we should embrace solid conservative values, and that includes not using government to enforce morality and respecting people’s individual freedom and liberty. The other frustrating thing is that we had a good conservative running for that seat, but unfortunately he lost the primary. I think it’ll be a close race, but I do think she’ll probably ultimately prevail. The only district in MN that a Republican never has to sweat in is the 2nd.
That's unfortunate to hear about Coleman. I've heard stories in private about some members engaging in inappropriate behavior, including one highly respected and prominent former member (and of which I'm sworn to secrecy about by the victim of his advances). It's sad we're reduced to having to decide contests based on "lesser of evils." I can't support Ventura under any circumstances, based upon his own erratic behavior in office, his offensive Marxian comments on religion and his recent rep as a 9-11 truther. He's highly offensive to me on almost every level.
"As far as Michele Bachmann, it’s not personal, it’s political. I think the Christian Right has ruined the Republican Party and is one the main reasons I’m embarrassed to even admit being a Republican. I don’t think there’s anything conservative about them. I agree we should embrace solid conservative values, and that includes not using government to enforce morality and respecting people’s individual freedom and liberty."
Without those Christian Conservatives, you kick out a big leg of the party, and it will remain perpetually in the minority. Unfortunately, I've seen some posturing as Christian Conservatives that are anything but... namely the Huckster supporters, ignoring that this guy effectively governed as a liberal Democrat and left widespread wreckage. I believe in meshing the religious/moral and economic Conservatives, because they aren't all mutually exclusive in bettering society. Focusing on religious/moral and ignoring economics and you have no brain, ignoring religious/moral and you have no soul.
"The other frustrating thing is that we had a good conservative running for that seat, but unfortunately he lost the primary. I think it’ll be a close race, but I do think she’ll probably ultimately prevail. The only district in MN that a Republican never has to sweat in is the 2nd."
We really should hold 5 out of 8 seats (with only the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Duluth/Iron Range seats (4, 5 & 8) being Dem, although I have hopes the latter one may eventually come back to us, as it is ostensibly a SoCon district). I wouldn't say a Republican doesn't have to sweat in the 2nd as the Dems did hold it and the 6th for good chunks of the '90s. In fact, it's the 3rd district that has not elected a Democrat since Roy Wier's last term in 1958.
I think “religious conservatives” is an oxymoron, at least if it implies that some of their policies are religiously motivated. The government shouldn't legislate morality. Both Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan believed that.
You're right that the 4th (Minneapolis), 5th (St, Paul), and 8th (Duluth/Iron Range) will be permanently controlled by the DFL. The 2nd (Southern suburbs) and the 6th (Northern suburbs) are the strongest Republican districts, and the 8th (Western MN) probably could be won by a Republican but currently has a moderate DFLer. The 1st (Southern MN) is definitely a swing district; you probably have the numbers to check this out, but I believe it's generally followed the mood of the country.
The 3rd district, the Western suburbs, which is where I grew up (Edina), is an old-school GOP district. This is the kind of place the GOP used to dominate, but now are losing. For all the voters that the GOP has gained through pandering to the Christian Right, they've lost others. What sells in the Deep South doesn't sell in the Upper Midwest. Ramstad has held the seat because he's well-suited for the district, but if hardcore social conservative runs in this district they can expect to lose. Paulsen doesn't appear to be one (no mention of social issues on his site or in any of his campaign material that I've seen), so he still stands a decent chance, but folks around there are disgusted with the national GOP.
I'm not a fan of the current Governor, either. Tax refunds are fine, but there are so many other issues to deal with.
"I thought his idea to switch to a unicameral legislature was a good idea, but that of course was shot down."
That might be fine in a state like Nebraska, but there's a reason why we have bicameral bodies, to prevent what comes perilously close to mob rule. A counterbalance to the other body.
"I appreciate that he didn't take any crap from the media. His comments on religion don't bother me, because religion should have no relation to government. Furthermore, I don't see how they're “Marxian”."
His comments were-bone chilling, and reflected what far too many on the left believe. Obama's statements were uncannily close to Ventura's. I've gotten rather sick of what the left has done on its war against religion in the 20th century, and its purge of religion from government institutions. It's been a fiasco of the highest order. And it has also been blatantly unconstitutional.
"I've known plenty of good capitalist supply-siders who were atheists or agnostics. I hadn't heard anything about him being a Truther, though I'm not denying it - where did you hear that?"
Here's at least one reference: http://hotair.com/archives/2008/04/02/surprise-jesse-venturas-a-truther/
"I think “religious conservatives” is an oxymoron, at least if it implies that some of their policies are religiously motivated. The government shouldn't legislate morality. Both Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan believed that."
I disagree. Right now, it's about restoring what the left has purged from our (formerly) great institutions. And frankly, every law that ever comes down the pike, good or bad, is one group's attempt at legislating morality, no matter the subject.
"You're right that the 4th (Minneapolis), 5th (St, Paul), and 8th (Duluth/Iron Range) will be permanently controlled by the DFL. The 2nd (Southern suburbs) and the 6th (Northern suburbs) are the strongest Republican districts, and the 8th (Western MN) probably could be won by a Republican but currently has a moderate DFLer. The 1st (Southern MN) is definitely a swing district; you probably have the numbers to check this out, but I believe it's generally followed the mood of the country."
The 1st was a Republican district until Tim Penny first won in 1982. He had been the first Democrat elected there in 92 years. Gutknecht apparently got caught unaware last year. His opponent was apparently a Wellstone bootcamper moonbat. I certainly hope we're able to give Walz the boot this year.
"The 3rd district, the Western suburbs, which is where I grew up (Edina), is an old-school GOP district. This is the kind of place the GOP used to dominate, but now are losing. For all the voters that the GOP has gained through pandering to the Christian Right, they've lost others."
They haven't pandered enough, let alone done enough, for Christian Conservatives, to say the least.
"What sells in the Deep South doesn't sell in the Upper Midwest."
I disagree that other parts of the country don't care about moral issues. As for my own Congressional district, it's no different than other moonbat rodent seats, so half the time, I have no idea this bizarre media-inspired portrait of the South as "fundamentalistland." That's not the South I grew up in or know. Nashville has been infested with rodents and corrupt slimy ones at that (think Al Gore), for my entire life. Often forgotten, too, is that many Northerners fled down South to escape the decline brought about by the left, in both parties. Those folks were largely responsible for making a Republican party down here. There were formerly strong Social Conservative regions in every part of the country until not so long ago, and the erosion of that has had devastating consequences. The BDS we've seen for the last 8 years is one of the side-effects. This unbridled leftist hate which is a poison to both the bodypolitic but to our nation at large, not to mention overseas.
"Ramstad has held the seat because he's well-suited for the district, but if hardcore social conservative runs in this district they can expect to lose. Paulsen doesn't appear to be one (no mention of social issues on his site or in any of his campaign material that I've seen), so he still stands a decent chance, but folks around there are disgusted with the national GOP."
Well, unfortunately, Ramstad is really a RINO. Again, these failures of the party to move rightward and to stick to it, is the reason why it ends up eroding. We don't need two liberal parties in this country. When Conservatives have their faces spat in by these RINOs and the establishment, they respond in kind by not turning out. For those advocating more of this "let's move left" crap, they are spurring on the death of the GOP, not reinvigorating it. They forgot why we were sent them to Washington in the first place.
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