CSPG: Upper Midwest Public Opinion Archive

University of Minnesota
Home \| Initiatives \| Events \| Elections \| Reports \| Public Opinion \| Blog Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs

Minnesota: Jesse Ventura

Job Approval Rating (General)
Job Approval Rating (Labor Negotiations)
Favorability Rating
Evaluation of Traits
Issue Handling
Controversial Statements
Relationship with Media
Reelection Decision
Trade Ambassador
Non-Gubernatorial Work
Presidential Candidacy
U.S. Senate Candidacy

Job Approval Rating (General)

Jesse Ventura Job Approval Rating (General)

Poll	Date	Excellent	Good	Fair	Poor	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	October 11-12, 2001	15%	39%	32%	13%	1%	625 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 2-5, 2001	15%	36%	31%	17%	1%	627 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	February 5-6, 2001	11%	44%	28%	15%	2%	625 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 6-8, 2000	14%	42%	30%	13%	1%	620 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	February 25-28, 2000	9%	43%	28%	18%	2%	641 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	October 5-6, 1999	7%	36%	31%	25%	1%	608 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 9-12, 1999	11%	45%	35%	8%	1%	624 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	April 7-9, 1999	12%	45%	24%	2%	17%	628 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR²	December 2-4, 1998	14%	55%	12%	3%	16%	807 RV	± 3.5

1 "How would you rate the performance of Jesse Ventura as governor: excellent, pretty good, fair, or poor?"

2 "Although he has not taken office yet, Governor-elect Jesse Ventura has begun the process of preparing for office. From what you can tell so far, how would you rate his performance as governor-elect: excellent, pretty good, fair, or poor?"

Job Approval Rating (Labor Negotiations)

Jesse Ventura Job Approval Rating (Labor Negotiations)

Poll	Date	Excellent	Good	Fair	Poor	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	October 11-12, 2001	8%	28%	25%	23%	16%	625 RV	± 4.0

1 "How would you rate Jesse Ventura's performance managing the negotiations with the unions and the continuation of state operations since the strike?"

Favorability Rating

Jesse Ventura Favorability Rating

Poll	Date	Favorable	Unfavorable	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	July 10, 2008	33%	64%	3%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen¹	June 11, 2008	36%	62%	2%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "Do you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, or very unfavorable impression of Jesse Ventura?"

Jesse Ventura Favorability Rating

Poll	Date	Favorable	Unfavorable	Neutral	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 9-12, 1999	45%	24%	21%	0%	624 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	December 2-4, 1998	61%	6%	32%	1%	807 RV	± 3.5
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	August 28-30, 1998	24%	26%	39%	11%	812 RV	± 3.5
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	May 30 – June 1, 1998	21%	19%	40%	20%	806 RV	± 3.5

1 "Do you have a favorable, unfavorable, or neutral opinion of Jesse Ventura?"

Evaluation of Traits

Jesse Ventura Breath of Fresh Air in State Government

Poll	Date	Agree	Disagree	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	October 11-12, 2001	53%	42%	5%	625 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 2-5, 2001	55%	41%	4%	627 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 6-8, 2000	62%	31%	7%	620 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	February 25-28, 2000	54%	41%	5%	641 RV	± 4.0

1 "Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Gov. Ventura is a needed breath of fresh air in state government?"

Jesse Ventura Embarrassment to Minnesota

Poll	Date	Agree	Disagree	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	October 11-12, 2001	30%	64%	6%	625 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 2-5, 2001	38%	57%	5%	627 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	February 5-6, 2001	41%	54%	5%	625 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 6-8, 2000	30%	63%	7%	620 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	February 25-28, 2000	43%	54%	3%	641 RV	± 4.0

1 "Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Gov. Ventura is an embarrassment to the state."

Jesse Ventura Breath of Fresh Air vs. Embarrassment to State

Poll	Date	Fresh air	An embarrassment	Too soon	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	October 5-6, 1999	30%	43%	20%	7%	608 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 9-12, 1999	49%	16%	29%	6%	624 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	April 7-9, 1999	54%	5%	41%	0%	628 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	December 2-4, 1998	45%	3%	50%	2%	807 RV	± 3.5

1 "Which of the following statements comes closest to your point of view? Governor Ventura is a needed breath of fresh air in state government. Governor Ventura is an embarrassment to the state. It is too soon to judge."

Jesse Ventura's Ability To Govern

Poll	Date	Will improve	Doesn't know enough	Make worse	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	October 5-6, 1999	29%	18%	51%	2%	608 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	April 7-9, 1999	62%	23%	9%	6%	628 RV	± 4.0

1 "More specifically, which of these statements comes closest to your point of view: (order rotated) Governor Ventura knows what matters most to people in Minnesota and his ability to speak plainly on these issues will improve government in Minnesota. Governor Ventura has an engaging personality that is fun to watch, but I don't really think he knows enough to govern well. Governor Ventura is not well prepared to govern, and his outspoken public comments often serve to make matters worse."

Jesse Ventura's Blunt Speaking Style

Poll	Date	Appealing	Unappealing	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	April 7-9, 1999	65%	21%	14%	625 RV	± 4.0

1 "Governor Ventura has become known for his blunt speaking style. In general, do you find this characteristic appealing or unappealing?"

Issue Handling

Confidence in Jesse Ventura In Dealing with Issues

Policy area¹	Most confidence	Least confidence
Education	38%	23%
Taxes / government spending	33%	6%
Crime	9%	12%
Social issues / poverty / race relations	8%	25%
No opinion	12%	34%
Poll	Pioneer Press / MPR
Date	December 2-4, 1998
Sample	807 RV
MoE	± 3.5

1 "On which of the following issues do you have the (most / least) confidence in Governor-elect Ventura to deal with?"

Controversial Statements

Jesse Ventura Playboy Interview

Poll	Date	Reflects style	Inappropriate	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	October 5-6, 1999	19%	73%	8%	608 RV	± 4.0

1 "Governor Ventura recently provided an interview to Playboy magazine. Based on what you know about his comments in that interview, which of these statements most closely reflects your opinion? The interview was simply a reflection of Governor Ventura's style and has little bearing on his performance as governor. Some of the things he said were inappropriate for the governor of the state?"

Jesse Ventura Remarks On Organized Religion

Poll	Date	Agree	Disagree	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	October 5-6, 1999	10%	86%	4%	608 RV	± 4.0

1 "More specifically, in that interview, Governor Ventura said "organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers." Do you agree or disagree with this statement from the interview?"

Jesse Ventura's Clarification of Remarks On Organized Religion

Poll	Date	More sympathetic	Less sympathetic	Does not matter	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	October 5-6, 1999	13%	36%	50%	1%	608 RV	± 4.0

1 "Governor Ventura later clarified his position to mean he was referring to his personal beliefs and meant no disrespect to others. Did this explanation make you more sympathetic to the governor, less sympathetic, or did it not matter?"

Jesse Ventura Remarks On Navy Tailhook Incident

Poll	Date	Agree	Disagree	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	October 5-6, 1999	24%	50%	26%	608 RV	± 4.0

1 "Also in the Playboy interview, Governor Ventura said he could understand, but did not condone, the behavior of Navy pilots in the sexual harassment case known as Tailhook. Do you agree or disagree with his statement?"

Jesse Ventura Radio Show Remarks

Poll	Date	Reflect style & personality	Offensive and inappropriate	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 9-12, 1999	42%	53%	5%	608 RV	± 4.0

1 "On his weekly radio show, Governor Ventura recently called one of his critics a big load ... who ain't never run around the block before in his whole life, and doesn't have a real job." Which of the following comes closer to your view? (order rotated) Such remarks reflect the governor's free-wheeling personality and style. Such remarks are offensive, overly personal, and inappropriate for the governor?"

Relationship with Media

Media Treatment of Jesse Ventura

Poll	Date	Too harsh	Treating fairly	Not critical enough	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	October 5-6, 1999	22%	59%	17%	2%	608 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	April 7-9, 1999	28%	58%	7%	7%	628 RV	± 4.0

1 "Do you think the media have been: (order rotated) Too harsh on Governor Ventura Treating Governor Ventura fairly Not critical enough of Governor Ventura?"

Reelection Decision

Should Jesse Ventura Run for Reelection

Poll	Date	Yes	No	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	October 11-12, 2001	50%	35%	15%	625 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 2-5, 2001	47%	42%	11%	627 RV	± 4.0

1 "Do you think Gov. Jesse Ventura should run for re-election next year?"

Jesse Ventura Reelection Support

Poll	Date	Ventura	Someone else	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	October 11-12, 2001	39%	36%	25%	625 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 2-5, 2001	37%	45%	18%	627 RV	± 4.0

1 "If Gov. Ventura runs for re-election in 2002, would you be inclined to vote for him or would you be inclined to vote for someone else?"

Trade Ambassador

Jesse Ventura As Minnesota Trade Ambassador

Poll	Date	Approve	Disapprove	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	September 12-14, 2002	50%	44%	6%	625 RV	± 4.0

1 "Gubernatorial candidate Tim Penny has said that if he is elected, he will ask Gov. Jesse Ventura to accompany him on an international trade mission. Would you approve or disapprove of using Ventura as a trade ambassador for Minnesota after he leaves office?"

Non-Gubernatorial Work

Jesse Ventura Commentary for XFL Football League

Poll	Date	Appropriate	Inappropriate	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	February 5-6, 2001	36%	50%	14%	625 RV	± 4.0

1 "Do you feel it is appropriate or inappropriate for Governor Ventura to provide commentary on television broadcasts for the new XFL football league?"

State Ban on Non-Governmental Work for Pay for State Officers

Poll	Date	Favor	Oppose	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	February 5-6, 2001	41%	47%	12%	625 RV	± 4.0

1 "The Legislature is considering a proposal that would prohibit the governor and other state officers from doing outside work for pay. Do you favor or oppose this proposal?"

View of Those Critical of Jesse Ventura's Non-Governmental Activities

Poll	Date	Agree	Disagree	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 6-8, 2000	37%	57%	6%	620 RV	± 4.0

1 "Some people have criticized Governor Ventura for spending too much time on money-making activities outside his duties as governor. Do you agree or disagree with those critics?"

Ventura Involvement With Professional Wrestling As Governor

Poll	Date	Reflects style	Inappropriate	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	October 5-6, 1999	46%	49%	5%	608 RV	± 4.0

1 "Governor Ventura was recently involved as a referee for a professional wrestling event. Which of these statements most closely reflects your opinion about that: The event was simply a reflection of Governor Ventura's style and really has no bearing on his performance as governor. Involvement in a wrestling event was inappropriate for the governor of the state."

Jesse Ventura Autobiography Writing and Promotion

Poll	Date	Appropriate	Inappropriate	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 9-12, 1999	42%	47%	11%	608 RV	± 4.0

1 "Governor Ventura has spent a substantial amount of his own time writing and promoting a new book about his life. Do you think that is appropriate or inappropriate?"

Jesse Ventura Use of State Guards

Poll	Date	State should pay	Ventura should pay	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 9-12, 1999	46%	46%	8%	608 RV	± 4.0

1 "Governor Ventura has been criticized for using $16,000 in state money to have two state guards and an aide from his office accompany him during his book promotion tour. Which of the following comes closer to your view? State should pay. He should pay. Not sure."

Presidential Candidacy

Jesse Ventura Presidential Candidacy

Poll	Date	Yes	No	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 9-12, 1999	11%	84%	5%	624 RV	± 4.0

1 "Should Jesse Ventura run for president in 2000?"

U.S. Senate Candidacy

Jesse Ventura Independent U.S. Senate Candidacy

Poll	Date	Yes	No	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	June 11, 2008	27%	60%	13%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "Should Jesse Ventura run as an independent candidate for the United States Senate in 2008?"