Former wrestler Jesse The Body Ventura is elected governor of Minnesota
On November 3 1998 former professional wrestler Jesse The Body Ventura is elected governor of Minnesota with 37 percent of the vote.His opponents seasoned politicians Hubert Humphrey III (son of Lyndon Johnsons vice-president and the attorney general of Minnesota) and St.Paul mayor Norm Coleman spent a total of 4.3 million on their campaigns.
Ventura the Reform-Party candidate spent 250000money he raised by selling 22 t-shirts and accepting 50 donations from his supporters.His only political experience had been his years as mayor of Brooklyn Park a suburb of Minneapolis but his laid-back straight-talking libertarian approach to politics resonated with many Minnesotansespecially young men who had never voted before.I voted for Jesse because he was the most honest one young constituent told a reporter for Newsweek.
If he doesnt know something he says he doesnt know.During his pro wrestling career Ventura had always been the bad guy He wore tie-dyed outfits feather boas and garish sunglasses and he loudly and profanely heckled his opponents.The Body was shamelessly dishonesthis motto was Win if you can lose if you must but always cheat.Ventura used some of his characters familiar flamboyance in his gubernatorial campaign.
In one ad he wore only a pair of gym shorts and sat contemplatively emulating Rodins The Thinker while opera played in the background.In another a Jesse Ventura action figure (cobbled together from existing dolls that a staffer found in a store it had the body of Batman and the head of World War II General Omar Bradley) trounced Evil Special Interest Man.But when he got elected he promised to take the job seriously.
I dont want to cheapen the office he said.Im not about to turn it into some dog-and-pony show.Some of his accomplishments as governor were popular He managed to pass a light-rail plan for the Twin Cities drafted a novel property-tax reform package and sent tax rebates called Jesse Checks to voters every year for three years.Then the state ran into economic problems.
His legislative support evaporated and he seemed to spend more time whining and lashing out at his critics (most notablyand unwiselythe droll and good-natured Garrison Keillor who thanks to his public-radio show The Prairie Home Companion was a beloved Minnesota folk hero).In 2002 Ventura decided that he would not run for office again.After leaving the governors mansion Ventura hosted a short-lived TV talk show taught a class at Harvard and stumped for John Kerry in 2004.He occasionally discusses running as a Green Party candidate in presidential elections.
