Commentary; Posted: 12/11/02

Gov. Ventura is judging himself too harshly

Don Heinzman

Soon Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura will climb out of the political wrestling ring where he has grappled with legislators, critics and the media for four years.

Elected in a ìshockerî over two well-known political party candidates, he had the opportunity to change government, and he had the state and national bully pulpit to demonstrate how an independent party can be a player in the volatile, complex and bruising political system.

His preoccupation with himself led to a controversial Playboy magazine interview, commentator on a now defunct-XFL football league and an unfortunate battle with the media over television coverage of his visit to Ground Zero.

Gov. Ventura is a national figure; no other Minnesota governor has appeared on more national news programs and talk shows, because the nation was curious about an ex-wrestler wearing an Independent Party banner who could run over two major political parties.

He energized many young people who believed he could be a leader and conquer the business-as-usual governing system. For a time, he brought prominence to the Reform Party movement, until internal political disputes prompted him to resign from that party.

This month commentators will evaluate his performance.

ECM Newspapers Inc. and its reporters have had a good working relationship with Gov. Ventura and particularly his press secretary, John Wodele.

Despite his accomplishments, Gov. Ventura is going out with a chip on his shoulder, as evidenced by the responses in an interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune. In that interview, the governor says he has no regrets, doesnít care how history will regard him and questions if the system can ever be changed with major political parties and the media in control.

While he squandered some opportunities, he is judging himself and what he did too harshly.

Leaving out all of the sideshows, even his critics say he governed well. The state operated efficiently and professionally, because he put good staff members in position and let them function.

Itís generally agreed the governor scored points with his trips to promote international trade and tourism, particularly his trips to Cuba, Japan and China.

Because he campaigned for a one-house, unicameral legislature, he drew the ire of legislators whose jobs would have been changed or been eliminated had unicameral become law. That, plus his determination to make money in the private sector, riled legislators who did their best to derail him.

Still, he teamed with them to pass a noteworthy tax reform package, across the board income tax cuts, three tax-free rebates, lower automobile license tab fees, and taking over the funding of K-12 education, thus making the property tax more accountable to local government.

He protected the tobacco endowment, held off attempts to stop light rail and fought for commuter rail

Ventura promoted suburban communityís interests lowering property taxes, increasing school funding in the first biennium and battling for a multi modal transit system including commuter rail.

In the final year of his term when surpluses turned into huge deficits, the Republican and Democratic parties refused to cooperate with Ventura, ignored his plan to balance the stateís budget and isolated him. Theyíd had enough with his bullying and name calling.

While the governor blames others and particularly the media for his situation, he must take some of the blame for his erratic behavior and inability to live up to the high hopes his followers had for his view that a third independent party can overcome the major powers and better represent the people.

His approach to life and the governorship is perhaps summed up best in a response that is published in a new book, ìInside the Ropes with Jesse Venturaî by KSTP television political reporter Tom Hauser.

Ventura said, ìPeople need to remember I was a villain in the world of pro wrestling for 15 years, and as a villain your job was to offend people. Your job was to be outspoken, bombastic. And itís very difficult to get away from that persona when you did it for so many years. As a villain in wrestling youíre forced to be confrontational. Thatís how you make money.î

ìThat,î writes Hauser, ìexplains everything.î

Top of Page