People & Places

Comments (0) BEST GADFLY - 2002

Jesse Ventura

Yeah, we know: He's the guvnah. That's only, like, the most powerful office in the state. A gadfly is supposed to be somebody on the outside of the halls of power. Someone like perennial also-rans Leslie Davis and Dick Franson. Jesse used to fit into this category, but then (as you've heard a million times) he Shocked the World. But even after the coronation, Ventura didn't stop portraying himself as an outsider, railing against the career politicians and bureaucratic gridlock. And somehow during the past 12 months, despite being the most powerful person in the state, he has achieved his goal. The leaders of the state house and senate didn't even bother contacting his office before announcing that they'd reached a solution to the budget shortfall. His bonding bill, with a heavy emphasis on transportation infrastructure, was roundly ignored. And unicameral? Huh? Never heard of it. He has become an outsider, a political gnat...a gadfly. Jesse the Gadfly. He'll probably like the title.

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