From Library Journal
Jesse Ventura's volatile but appealing personality was a less significant factor in his 1998 election as Minnesota's governor than the state's unique political environment, concludes Lentz, a native Minnesotan and political science scholar. Minnesota provides generous election campaign funds for established third parties and is one of only seven states that allows residents to register and vote on the same day. Almost 70 percent of these election-day registrants voted for Reform Party candidate Ventura over State Attorney General Skip Humphrey (Democratic Farm Labor Party) and St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman (Republican Party). The media did not take Ventura's campaign seriously until late into the election and therefore paid less attention to his vague platform than to those of the two major candidates. In addition, nasty fighting between Humphrey and Coleman and support of the "dudes" working-class men and women with family incomes of less than $50,000 helped give Ventura, the former professional wrestler, 37 percent of the vote enough to elect him. Lentz presents an engaging investigation of Ventura's victory and what it might mean for future third-party candidates. Recommended for academic and most public libraries. Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
