Posted: 1/2/08
ECM's capitol reporter recalls the administration of Jesse Ventura
 Former Governor Jesse Ventura |
By T.W. Budig
ECM capitol reporter
He left in something of a huff, refusing to talk to the media at the unveiling of his brooding gubernatorial portrait, grabbing the microphone of a radio reporter who ventured too close.
And since that time the man who once bestrode the Capitol — Minnesota's first rock star governor — has rarely returned to his old workplace.
Workplace may seem too crude a description for the sumptuous Governor's Reception Room, the gleaming dome of the Capitol that pierces the sky in secular exclamation.
But Jesse Ventura apparently viewed the governorship from a calloused hands' perspective.
"This is doing a job to me," he said, speaking to Minnesota Public Radio in June of 2002, announcing he would not seek re-election.
Running the government
"It's the job of running the government. And it is nothing more or nothing less than that," said Ventura.
It's been a nearly a decade since Ventura's historic election as a third-party governor. It was a different time, different place.
The national economy was booming, presidential impeachment filled the news, and for most Americans the name Osama bin Laden might have been that of a racehorse.
So has Ventura, too, slipped into the past?
Former Ventura Transportation Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg believes a growing number of Minnesotans look back fondly.
"I think there's more and more people who are starting to think, ‘You know, there were some personality issues that played a lot in the media (with Ventura),'" he said.
"(But) they were actually doing something — the light rail line, the education funding proposal, the education reform," said Tinklenberg.
Behind the scenes
"Behind the scenes, there was actually stuff going on," said Tinklenberg.
Rep. Mary Liz Holberg, R-Lakeville, also sometimes hears people speak fondly of those years.
"Oh yeah," she said.
"I think when he was first elected — I was pretty new so I wasn't savvy enough to understand all of the nuances of this — I think people (lawmakers) were very afraid given the strong mandate," she said.
"The public, they were excited about it," she said.
"I think in some ways he (Ventura) kind of squandered that," said Holberg.
Former U.S. Senator Dean Barkley remembers the parade in Annandale in 1996 when running for U.S. Senate on the Reform Party ticket that the seeds of another campaign were planted.
"He (Ventura) walked about a third of the way through the parade with me, everybody was screaming for Jesse and ignoring me," said Barkley of his campaign's honorary chairman.
"That's when the light bulb went on — I wonder if this will translate to political popularity," he said.
"And I turned to him (Ventura) and said, ‘Wrong guy is running. You're running next, big guy,'" Barkley recalled.
Ventura had star power.
More than a decade as pro wrestler
The former U.S. Navy SEAL had spent more than a decade as a professional wrestler and had become a Hollywood actor, appearing in such films as "Predator" along with his pal Arnold Schwarzenegger, now governor of California.
More recently, he had worked as a radio personality and was serving as mayor of Brooklyn Park.
The idea of fielding Ventura as a candidate was not wholly embraced by the third-party movement, Barkley recalled.
But they had to take risks, Barkley reasoned.
"He laughed at me," said Barkley of Ventura's reaction to running for higher office.
"And I worked on him for a year to do it," he said. Barkley believed Ventura's celebrity, his communication skills, could pack a political punch. "And I was right," he said.
It may not have been the most obvious conclusion.
For certain, Ventura did not sound like a gubernatorial candidate.
His speech retained shadings of someone whose day at the office included being struck over the head with a folding chair.
He had his own way of pronouncing words, for instance.
The word "hypocrisy" as uttered by Ventura not only denoted insincerity but seemed also to suggest verticality.
When seated while on camera, Ventura tended to fidget as if ticking.
Weaver says Ventura had gifts
But Charlie Weaver, former legislator from Anoka and Commissioner of Public Safety in the Ventura Administration, like Barkley came to view Ventura as having gifts.
"He (Ventura) was dumb like a fox," said Weaver. "He didn't show it, I think intentionally, but he was plenty smart," he said.
Beyond this, Ventura could communicate.
"I've never known a politician as good as (Gov. Tim) Pawlenty is, but I've never met a politician who was better able to summarize complex issues in a way the average citizens could understand (than Ventura)," said Weaver.
"Love him or hate him, when someone asked ‘What do you think of gun control?' ‘Where are you on abortion?' he would give you an answer a guy sitting in Billy's (bar and restaurant) would say, ‘Oh yeah. I get that,'" he said.
Ventura's answers were short, eye-level, clever.
"They (the public) understood what he was saying. I think that's why he won," said Weaver.
"He came at time when Minnesotans — I think they still are — are looking for straight answers," he said.
Sleeper hold on major parties
A main message of Ventura's campaign was the need to break the perceived sleeper hold the major parties had on the political system.
Ventura talked about returning the state budget surplus.
He talked about cutting car tab fees.
Although the hype surrounding his dazzling success left an impression of smashing victory, Ventura actually won election by a only a few points.
But he blazed across the north metro.
In Anoka, Chisago, Isanti, Sherburne and Wright counties, Ventura snagged more votes than Humphrey and Coleman combined.
Abeler remembers that election well
Rep. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, remembers the election well — it was his first run for public office. Abeler had to sweat the returns out late into the night.
So many voters had turned out some precincts ran out of ballots, he recalled.
Long-time Anoka County Commissioner Dan Erhart points to Ventura's high name recognition as one ingredient of victory.
But there was more:
"He (Ventura) said what was on a lot of people's minds about their government and how it operates," said Erhart, adding the public's understanding is not always accurate.
"But a lot of the people out there think government is run amok, and needs to be changed," he said.
"It (Ventura's candidacy) gave them an opportunity to vote for a middle-of-the-road person who spoke volumes about what they think," he said.
"And you know, we ought to pay attention to that," said Erhart.
The world was shocked but recovered
The world, if shocked, quickly recovered. But it also focused in.
State media jostled with international media for space at Ventura's swearing in ceremony in Jan. 4, 1999, in the Capitol Rotunda.
A smiling Schwarzenegger could be seen picking his way across the packed Rotunda floor.
Former U.S Navy comrades-in-arms saluted the new governor.
Following Ventura's swearing in as Minnesota's 38th governor, First Lady Terry Ventura took off her heels and stood barefoot besides her husband, waving to well-wisher in the balconies.
Rep. Ozment remembers trip to Mexico
Rep. Dennis Ozment, R-Rosemount, recalled a trip to Mexico during that time and getting into a cab to head into the countryside. One of his party spoke Spanish, and she mentioned Minnesota.
"Next thing the cab driver says, ‘Jesse! Jesse!'" recalled Ozment.
"Right out in the middle of nowhere," he said. "You can't even buy that kind of publicity," said Ozment.
Gov. Ventura surrounded himself with an able, active cabinet — Tinklenberg, Weaver, Wheelock, Jennings, Ramstad Hvass, Smith, others.
Quality people
The Ventura Administration is still remembered for the quality of the people who filled it. "It was a blast," said Weaver of serving in the administration. "It was great — (Ventura was) one of the best bosses I've ever had," he said.
Ventura pledged to support him, back him up, Weaver explained. And he wouldn't be peeking over his shoulder.
"So when I needed his support, he (Ventura) was always there for me," said Weaver.
In general, Ventura rarely sought political advice from his commissioners, Weaver believes.
"I think largely he relied on his own instincts, and he had (Finance Commissioner) Pam Wheelock there helping him — and she's very skilled," he said.
Outside the Governor's Office, different views took shape about the cigar toting chief executive.
Tough but charming
Former House Speaker Steve Sviggum said the governor could be tough to work with.
"He could be very charming at times. And then turn around, and at the same meeting, be very intimidating," said Sviggum.
"But I also found what I would consider the attention span, so to speak, to stay with negotiations for a long, long period of time, wasn't quite there," he said.
"Whether it was his frustration with government — things should be done quick or a unilateral dictator — his attention span to me wasn't as great as other governors," Sviggum opined.
As a freshman lawmaker, Holberg had no personal contact with Ventura. "I can't recall that I ever did," she said. "I remember one time he was mad, came storming through the S.O.B. (State Office Building) looking for (House Majority Leader) Pawlenty and Sviggum," she said.
"Seeing him traipsing through the state office building, we were kind of wondering: ‘What the heck?'" said Holberg.
Ozment did have contact with Ventura and followed self-prescribed etiquette.
Didn't trust anyone
"When he (Ventura) got into office, his guard was up. He didn't trust anyone, really," opined Ozment.
"I always tried to be very respectful when I talked to him," said Ozment.
"I never called him ‘Jesse.' I always called him ‘Governor Ventura,'" he said.
"Those type of things I think made him feel comfortable. He was being respected for what he thought was a very important job," said Ozment.
Ozment had practice in dealing with governors. "I've worked with (Governor) Arne Carlson," he said. "And if I can work with Arne Carlson I can work with anybody," said Ozment, smiling.
Left governorship angry
Ventura left the governorship upset, angry. That's almost certain.
Perhaps a sense of gnawing political isolation got under his skin.
At one stop in Greater Minnesota late in his term Ventura teared up, saying he was all by himself up at the Capitol.
Abeler, a health care provider, theorizes sheer fatigue could have worn Ventura down.
Governors go, go, go, said Abeler.
Certainly, Ventura hurt himself politically at times.
Lawmakers took the gloves off in September of 1999 with the publication of the controversial Playboy article in which Ventura was quoted as saying that organized religion is a sham and crutch for the weak-minded.
Then Senate Majority Roger Moe, DFL-Erskine, demanded an apology.
"Minnesota does not embrace your views on religion, women, on prostitution, on drugs, or on conspiracy theories," said Moe.
Expressed bewilderment
Ventura's popularity rating, at least for a time, dipped. As for himself, Ventura expressed a sense of bewilderment. "I've learned something that's very profound," Ventura said during this time.
"I've learned that you will have an extremely difficult time if you get elected to high office and you're honest," he said.
One episode followed another.
When Ventura became involved in the short-lived XFL as a color commentator, Pawlenty spoke of public expectations of the governorship.
"And Ventura is apparently trying to change these historic expectations," he said.
"In the meantime it looks like it's a Jerry Springer World and we have to live in it," said Pawlenty.
The legislators almost sportingly overrode Ventura vetoes late in his term.
Lawmakers depicted the governor as a money grubber for all his business dealings.
In a stinging slam, an Iron Ranger on the House floor said politicians do a lot of this, then licked his finger and held it overhead as if to test the political wind.
But Ventura, explained Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, was unique in that he did this — Rukavina then pulled out his wallet, licked it, and held it high as if trying to detect cash.
Sviggum saw a kind of paranoia at work in the governor.
See part II next week
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