Jesse Ventura

When it comes to my politics nobody does better at promoting my views then Jesse Ventura. Being able to vote for Jesse with my very first vote was a remarkable experience for someone who may very well never get to vote for a winner again without compromising my ideals.

Jesse has reemerged promoting his new book (that's right Jesse was promoting himself and while many will try to knock him for it I call him an American) leading to speculation that he may run for political office again be it president or US Senate.

Lets for moment look at how those races would drastically change if Jesse entered them (ignoring the process that would have to take place to put him in the presidents race).

At the moment we have a very tight race for president regardless of the Democrat nominee (despite the fact that Barack Obama very clearly can not win). If Jesse enters that does not change day one Jesse would only poll around 5-8% as the nation still would consider him a pro wrestler joke candidate. And unlike the Peter Hutchinson Tim Penny Michael Bloobmerg type candidates he would convert support fairly evenly from both sides. Basically the race would follow the 98 Governors race formula, and since were pretending he would get full ballot access we can also pretend he would get full debate access. In other words in a race between Ventura Obama and McCain both he and McCain would gave a 50-50 shot at winning with Obama sitting somewhere under 30% of the vote.

Now for the race he can clearly enter and get full debate access Minnesota's US Senate race giving Norm Coleman a rematch as the Al Franken gimmick fades into the background. Ventura may very well fall a bit short given the lack of meaningful power the office gives an independent as opposed to the great veto power an executive office gives him. Ventura can easily run under the Independence Party banner although really that party is so lost it would be a mistake as it would then be able to label him as just another Franken. As a former governor he clearly is bigger then then the Independence Party and would only need to prove he's ready for the fight with the ballot access fight. I think Coleman has a meaningful edge here but as of right now Colemans only fear is Franken loses the nomination a Ventura candidacy would mean he would have to work to win to win reelection.

Either way I could proudly vote for someone who has a chance to win once again. Run Jesse run, if for no other reason then to push Franken or Obama to the sidelines.