Do I Stand Alone?: Going to the Mat Against Political Pawns and Media Jackals (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Minnesota's pugnaciously quotable governor stood in the national spotlight when he took office: his subsequent book, I Ain't Got Time to Bleed, told his life story. This follow-up offers a smorgasbord of quick stands on specific issues; longer critiques of the political process, the parties and the media; and feelings about his time in government. The governor is against "pork-barrel politics," "government bloat" and "public careerism," and he's upset about the structural advantage enjoyed by incumbents over challengers. He's quite angry at local and national press, especially when he believes they misquote him to create scandals. If some of his positions seem far-out, others can pack a commonsense wallop. He thinks "we're far too dependent on automobiles" and hopes for "more mass transit." He dislikes most gun-control laws, he hates the IRS and even hopes to replace income tax with a national sales tax. And, he's against the death penalty, three-strikes laws and the drug war: "Prison should be reserved for violent offenders." One chapter offers readers an amendment-by-amendment guide to the Bill of Rights, along with the governor's views on how to interpret them; a later chapter proffers generalized advice for resisting hype and spin; another gives programs for electoral and campaign finance reform (four-year synchronized terms for all officeholders, unicameral legislatures and restrictions on private donors). Ventura and coauthor Mooney, of the American Enterprise Institute, capture Jesse the Body's bare-knuckled attitude and his appeal. Though much of the book consists of soothing sound bites, the remainder is a real message from the most successful third-party politician in America: it turns out he's got some useful things to say.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

MUD-SLINGING POLITICIANS, IDEOLOGICAL FANATICS, AND APATHETIC NONVOTERS BEWARE: GOVERNOR JESSE VENTURA'S GOT A FEW CHOICE WORDS FOR YOU....

In his first controversial New York Times bestseller, I Ain't Got Time to Bleed, ex-Navy SEAL and professional wrestler Jesse Ventura told the remarkable story of his climb up the Reform Party ladder to the governorship of Minnesota. Now, with jackhammer force and candor, Governor Ventura issues an urgent wake-up call to America -- a resounding indictment of our creeping national cynicism, and how our political system rewards mediocrity while turning a blind eye to accountability.

In Do I Stand Alone? Ventura sternly warns against the danger of expecting too little from our elected officials. He decries the ease with which most Americans surrender their freedoms and apathetically accept a system of governance driven more by pork and patronage than by the best interests of the constituency. He also denounces an irresponsible media, taking them to task for too often confusing fame with notoriety, and for driving the news instead of simply reporting it. And he unabashedly speaks out on today's hot-button issues, including welfare, racism, youth violence, immigration, abortion, campaign finance reform, and gay rights.

Giving us fascinating insights into the future of independent parties, Governor Ventura ushers us deep into the polished corridors of power, exposing the best -- and worst -- of our current crop of political personalities. He offers straightforward, uncompromising profiles of the current presidential candidates, and lays out a workable strategy for bringing our political system -- and its politicians -- back to greatness.

In a forthright, razor-sharp, and entertaining critique, Governor Jesse Ventura has once again thrown down the gauntlet -- challenging today's politicians as well as a disenchanted public to transcend the tired rhetoric and defiantly reclaim the freedom and opportunity that is our American birthright.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Atria; 1st Printing edition (August 29, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743405862
• ISBN-13: 978-0743405867
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,121,423 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Too bad he won't run for President, September 8, 2000

By	Harry Thomas (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews

If you've read Tom Clancy's Executive Orders and the recent Bear and the Dragon, you know that Clancy's main protagonist, Jack Ryan, is the President of the United States. And because he is not a political operator, other politicians, the media and even other governments try to tear him down. Reading Jesse Ventura's book, I was struck by an eerie sense of déjà vu. The stories he tells of the political sniping he has had to endure from the established body politic and the media are remarkably similar to what Clancy described of Ryan's experiences.

This book should be issued to all American civics classes in our schools. And the most important part, the part to be marked with the yellow highlighter, is the part that says that we, the voting public, must take back control of our government from the career politicians and spit-licking sycophants that surround them.

What hurts the most for me is the (justified) media-bashing that Ventura does. As a member of the media, I have seen first hand the petty bias that my profession is capable of. That's why I won't run for office myself, because I know what my "colleagues" are capable of. I'd apologize for their behavior, but I'm not high enough on the totem pole to make it stick. Hopefully, I can reach that high someday, because I believe the power of the press can be used judiciously and properly.

After reading this book, I remembered a line from the late Robert A. Heinlein's book, Time Enough For Love. To paraphrase; "If you are part of a society that votes, do so. If you don't know who or what to vote for, then at least know what you want to vote against."

If there was a space on the ballot to do so, I would write Jesse's name in for President. There isn't one, mostly because the career politicians don't want it there. Keep talking like this, Jesse, and we might just draft you for the job.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Glad I DIDN'T stand alone in voting for this man!, September 9, 2000

By A Customer

Do I Stand Alone? is a gem. Truly, it is a much-needed slap in the face of irresponsible, sensationalist members of the media and corrupt, out-of-touch career politicians, phrased in Gov. Ventura's signature candid manner, and it is clearly a "wake-up call" to the voting public. What truly makes this book shine, however, is Gov. Ventura's underlying message that we need to think critically about current events, public figures, the media, and our own beliefs. More than once, Gov.Ventura urges his audience to examine and evaluate evidence and claims, consider sources of information and their assumptions and biases, scrutinize one's own viewpoints carefully, and form reasonable, logical, independent judgments. This is precisely what educational researchers, philosophers, and teachers have been urging for years! And as someone who researches and teaches critical thinking, and a supporter of the Governor's, I hope strongly that this easy-to-read, absorbing, and lively book will make the importance of critical thinking evident to a very broad audience. Bravo, Gov. Ventura!

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jesse "The Mind" Shows His Stuff, September 7, 2000

By	Tom Johnson (Rochester, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Do I Stand Alone?: Going to the Mat Against Political Pawns and Media Jackals (Audio Cassette)

Governor Jesse Ventura's first book "Ain't Got Time to Bleed" told of his adventurous past and the circumstances that led him into politics. His new book "Do I Stand Alone" takes a hard look at the connection between politics and media along with many other societal issues. In a sense it could be described as a road-map for continuing democracy in the 21st Century.

Ventura's common sense style is well-suited to not only pinpoint the essential problems in our society, but also to offer manageable solutions. He provides an intricate appraisal of the Amendments to the US Constitution. It is a section that should be required reading for new age students who no longer study the roots of government in the United States.

It is not without a few flashpoints, probably the only ones that will be quoted on TV news shows. The Governor of MN takes some jabs at the two party system and returns a few salvos to the media -especially the local flatfoots who have done their finest to search for some disparity in his message. But this book is mostly a comparison between today's perceptions and the original intents of our country's founders.

All in all, it is less about individuals and more about the philosophy of governing. Combine that with Ventura's vision for a better America and this book should strike fear into the heart of the two party system, the corporate power-brokers, and the degenerative media. Jesse "The Mind" Ventura is here to stay.