Jesse Ventura calls out Democrats, Republicans, and the Tea Party

image
Published: 10 Mar, 2010
1 min read

In a Larry King Live interview, Jesse Ventura, the former Independent Governor from Minnesota, warned that the two major parties were "leading us down the road to ruin".  In classic Ventura style, the Navy veteran urged Americans to wake up and stop voting for Democrats and Republicans since they have repeatedly demonstrated that party politics comes before the best interests of the people.  And when asked about the Tea Party, Ventura challenged their silence on critical constitutional issues in years past, and identified it as more of a right-wing movement.

Ventura cited George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams as the Founding Fathers who explicitly warned against the potential corruption of party politics, and admonished Larry King to "never say never" when posing the possibility of eventually dissolving the two-party stranglehold. 

When asked if President Obama should have focused more on jobs instead of healthcare, Ventura stated that Obama should focus on jobs, healthcare, and the wars.  Ventura is known for supporting a more non-interventionist foreign policy, and on healthcare, he touted the state-run programs in Hawaii and the VA.

Agree or disagree with Ventura, more and more Americans are expressing a similar, deep-seated frustration with the current, partisan-fueled political system.  Perhaps he or another independent-minded candidate will mount a serious 3rd party bid to challenge the two-headed, one-party monster in 2012.  A little competition couldn't hurt.

To view the CNN interview, click here.

You Might Also Like

Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
The latest Independent Voter Podcast episode takes listeners through the messy intersections of politics, reform, and public perception. Chad and Cara open with the irony of partisan outrage over trivial issues like a White House ballroom while overlooking the deeper dysfunctions in our democracy. From California to Maine, they unpack how the very words on a ballot can tilt entire elections and how both major parties manipulate language and process to maintain power....
30 Oct, 2025
-
1 min read
California Prop 50 gets an F
Princeton Gerrymandering Project Gives California Prop 50 an 'F'
The special election for California Prop 50 wraps up November 4 and recent polling shows the odds strongly favor its passage. The measure suspends the state’s independent congressional map for a legislative gerrymander that Princeton grades as one of the worst in the nation....
30 Oct, 2025
-
3 min read
bucking party on gerrymandering
5 Politicians Bucking Their Party on Gerrymandering
Across the country, both parties are weighing whether to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Texas, California, Missouri, North Carolina, Utah, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, and Virginia are all in various stages of the action. Here are five politicians who have declined to support redistricting efforts promoted by their own parties....
31 Oct, 2025
-
4 min read