In his full-throated style, former Minnesota Gov. and nominal presidential candidate Jesse Ventura came to White Bear Lake Wednesday and went off. On all kinds of stuff.
Ventura, whose name is appearing on the Alaska ballot, railed on President Donald Trump, maskless Americans, and other politicians in general, while espousing the virtues of third parties and urging everyone to vote.
“If I’d have been on that debate stage, somebody would have gotten his tie tightened,” the former Navy service member and professional wrestler said in front of reporters before Wednesday formal news conference began. “Joe Biden showed a lot of restraint.” It was an unmistakable reference to Trump’s performance at the first presidential debate.
The small assemblage of media had been summoned to a slushy parking lot by the campaign of Brock Pierce. Pierce, a St. Louis Park native and former child actor of “Mighty Ducks” and sequel “D2: The Mighty Ducks” renown, is a wealthy entrepreneur whose name appears on the Minnesota ballot for president.
Pierce spoke for about 10 minutes before introducing Ventura, who spoke about twice as long.
“I’m here to tell people to vote, to get out and vote,” Ventura said before launching into a soliloquy that extolled what he perceives as the virtues of 2020 America and its foibles.
Here’s some of what he said:
‘HITLER WOULD’VE WON’
“I’m losing a lot of faith in America,” Ventura said before excoriating those who refuse to wear masks during the coronavirus pandemic.
He meandered to the topic by way of his own military service during the Vietnam War and his parents, both of whom, he said, were World War II veterans. He spoke of the sacrifices made by soldiers and citizens alike during the war years — and contrasted that with today.
“If we behaved like we are now, Hitler would’ve won,” he said. “What is wearing a mask? It’s nothing. It’s not sacrifice?”
‘BUNCH OF CROOKS’
Hitting on his perennial theme of lambasting members of both Democratic and Republican parties, he decried what he said was widespread “bribery” amid political class.
In a reminder that Ventura, who became governor as a Reform Party candidate in a surprise upset in 1998, conveyed a Trumpist style before Trump, he revisited a series of grievances with the two parties, each of which controlled a chamber in the Legislature when he was governor. He clashed with them frequently.
“Bunch of crooks,” he said at one point, apparently referring to politicians in general.
WHO’S HE VOTING FOR?
Although Wednesday’s event appeared to have all the trappings of an endorsement of one candidate by another, neither man endorsed the other.
“Vote your conscience,” Ventura said.
When asked for whom his vote will be, Ventura said he had already voted, but he refused to say his candidates of choice.
JESSE 2024?
“I never look that far ahead,” Ventura answered when asked whether he’s considering a future run for office. While his name appears on Alaska’s ballot as a result of the state Green Party’s nomination, Ventura has not campaigned seriously. However, he said, “Had the Green Party given me a clear path … I would be in the (national) race.”
WASTED VOTES?
Like most third-party candidates appearing on ballots, Pierce and Ventura both rejected the premise that their candidacies could play spoiler in 2020, diverting the votes from one of the two candidates with a mathematical chance at winning. (Neither Ventura nor Pierce will appear on enough states’ ballots to be able to amass the number of electoral votes needed to win.)
“How many ‘wasted votes’ were there when I won?” Ventura fired back at a reporter asking the question. “I am the example of the wasted vote.” After a long pause, he added: “Joking. … Remember? I always needed to tell you guys when something was a joke.”