Jesse Ventura May Run for President in 2016 with Howard Stern
October 1st, 2013
Former Minnesota Governor, Navy SEAL, and wrestling superstar Jesse Ventura is known for his independent political views and in-your-face attitude. He shocked the nation when his third-party candidacy took the 1998 Minnesota governor’s race, beating two well-funded major party candidates, including Republican Norm Coleman, who went on to win a US Senate seat. The ex-wrestler left office after one term and did not run for re-election.
Ventura also hosted three seasons of the TruTV show Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura, which has since been discontinued. Though he had moved to Mexico following his governorship, it appears that he has returned to the US, and, according to The Daily Caller, he may be considering a run for president in 2016 with radio shock jock Howard Stern as his vice-presidential candidate. Check out the below clip in which Alex Jones interviewed Jesse Ventura about his presidential ambitions.
Jesse Ventura As a Third-Party Presidential Candidate
Jesse Ventura won the Minnesota governorship as a Reform Party candidate. Though he eventually left that particular party, he remains committed to third-party politics in general and deeply opposes the two-party system. While it remains to be seen whether or not he could win the presidency outright, if he were to run, he would be one of the most visible independent presidential candidates in modern history.
Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson elevated the credibility and notoriety of third-party politics when he took the Libertarian Party’s nomination for president in 2012, considering the fact that he had won a state-wide race in the past. Ventura is a former governor too, but brings significant star power to the table. Most Americans are familiar with him, since wrestling and movie production companies have already spent millions marketing his name to US households.
Ventura Hopes to Tap Howard Stern As a Running Mate
Jesse Ventura told Alex Jones that Howard Stern may be interested in jumping in the 2016 presidential race as Ventura’s vice-presidential candidate. As it happens, the former governor will appear on Howard Stern’s radio program on Wednesday. According to the above-linked article by The Daily Caller, Ventura said, “I’ll be out there on Wednesday and so Wednesday I’m going to point blank him and say, ‘Howard, I can’t do it without you,’ because there is certain things I need from Howard to make this successful, and one of the things is I despise raising the money — the bribing of the officials and all that. And if I had someone like Howard, how much money could Howard raise with his radio show…”
Though Jesse Ventura has a history of making outlandish statements that would destroy the careers of most politicians, his candidacy should be taken seriously by opponents. He has many loyal followers who respect him as an independent thinker and a veteran. That said, any third-party presidential candidate faces a serious uphill battle when it comes to attaining ballot access and attracting invitations to televised presidential debates. Jesse Ventura probably has sufficient name power to win a House or Senate seat as a third-party candidate, but his presidential candidacy would need to be respected by debate moderators in order to have a real chance.
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