You’ve just got to love it when the former governor of a major Midwestern state publishes a new book with the title of “DemoCRIPS and “ReBLOODicans: No More Gangs in Government”.

Ventura is, of course, the former Governor of Minnesota who won election there as an independent with a populist appeal to voters all sides of the political spectrum.  He was well-known in Minnesota as one of the stars of the, then, Midwest based “All-Star Wrestling” grappling under the nom-de-guerre of Jesse “The Body” Ventura.  He was a mean guy—a bad guy in the “squared circle” but he was definitely well known.

And a lot of his political musings are more than a little “off the wall”.  But… There’s always a but isn’t there?  But, he cuts through the clutter kind of like the bully in the middle of the ring grabbing the microphone to incite the crowd and get it roaring.

Ventura’s new book and his media appearances promoting his new book are assured to get the crowds roaring—and maybe even thinking just a bit.

Ventura likens the political parties to street gangs—calling them “thugs in Brooks Brothers suits”.  He invokes admonitions by Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and George Washington about the “evils” of political parties.  And he suggests that regardless of political party, by the time a candidate is elected he or she is “bought and paid for” by lobbyists and special interests.

One of the more amusing things in his live interview was a comment where he said that he only raised and spent $300,000 to get elected governor of Minnesota and was the only candidate in modern times who actually earned more in salary in his office than was spent in the election campaign.  An interesting observation.

But, I’ve got to give Ventura some props.  It seems to me that his point is that the aims of the 2 major political parties is the gaining, keeping and exerting of power for its own sake.  Little, if any, governance goes on as the “out party” tries to become the “in party” and obstructs any effort at governance or compromise.  And that's the basis for his comparison to street gangs where violence begets violence for its own sake.

While I may be putting words into Ventura’s mouth here, that’s my understanding of his message and I have a hard time disagreeing with it.

In an election year that has until now featured more and more of the same old drivel and rhetoric, Ventura’s interviews and comments and his new book come as a bit of “political fresh air” making you smile at his audacity and think about his message.