The Body & The Straight Talk
Jesse Ventura and John McCain have already discussed whether the "Straight Talk Express" should take an independent road in the race for President.
On Tuesday, the Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura said he spoke with McCain more than a week ago about an independent presidential bid.
But Ventura added the Arizona Senator assured him he will remain in the Republican Party.
The pro wrestler-turned-politician insisted he isn't trying to persuade McCain to run as an independent, saying "that's totally the senator's business." Still, if McCain did, then Ventura said "he'd make it interesting"
McCain spokesman Dan McLagan said the Senator is on vacation and there are no current plans for meeting with Ventura.
The spokesman declined to comment on whether McCain would be interested in running on a third party or independent ticket, reiterating that McCain is on vacation for the week.
On Monday, Ventura political aides said they would like to see a face-to-face meeting between the two mavericks. They believe the Senator could win a three-way race, just as Ventura did in Minnesota in 1998.
"That's the thing that I think John has to decide. Does he want to break from the Republican Party?" said Ventura adviser Dean Barkley. "Does he really have the chutzpah to say, 'I can do what Teddy Roosevelt tried to do'?"
McCain has frequently cited T.R. as one of his political heroes. In 1912, Roosevelt, by then a former president, quit the Republican Party and unsuccessfully sought to return to the White House on the Bull Moose ticket.
Last week, McCain suspended his campaign after losing Super Tuesday primaries to Texas Gov. George W. Bush in New York, California, Ohio, and most other states outside of New England. At the time, McCain ruled out bolting the GOP, but fans of an independent bid have been stoking the buzz ever since.
Over the weekend, Vice President Al Gore visited Minnesota, trying to position himself next to Ventura and his independent supporters.
"I acknowledge that that's part of what's going on here," said Gore, the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Before Tuesday, Ventura declined comment on his overtures to McCain, but told a radio audience that he could play a key role in getting independent voters to the polls.
"They are the voters that determine who wins. And if indeed I am part of winning those 60 percent, I think candidates would be pretty darn foolish not to come and meet with me and to get my perspective on things," Ventura said.
Barkley said on Tuesday that Ventura might be willing to campaign coast-to-coast for a candidate he liked, but added the governor isn't ready to make such a commitment to McCain or anyone else right now.
What's less clear is how an independent McCain bid with any Ventura help would work.
Ventura insiders said on Monday that they can find the money to run a credible campaign for McCain and get ballot access in many states But that task would be more difficult since the governor just left his political home. Last month, Ventura quit the Reform Party amidst bitter infighting between his supporters and backers of party founder Ross Perot.