Transcript From Sam Donaldson's Interview With Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura on ABCNEWS.com.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 6, 1999--

The following is a transcript from Sam Donaldson's interview with Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura that took place today, Wednesday, October 6, on ABCNEWS.com (http://abcnews.go.com). Mr. Donaldson interviewed Governor Ventura during his program [e-mail].

If you have any questions about the interview, please contact Michelle Bergman (212-456-2478, [e-mail]) or Craig Sender (212-916-7724, [e-mail]).

Donaldson: We're coming to you today from Cambridge, MA campus of

Harvard University - because that's where Governor Jesse Ventura

will be giving a speech to students later today. Nice to have you

here Governor. How are you?

Ventura: Nice to be here. I'm doing just fine. I'm conducting business

and doing my job as governor.

Donaldson: I have to start with the Playboy interview and if I didn't

I'd be drummed out of the corps, as you know, and your famous or

infamous quote, "Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for

weak-minded people who need strength in numbers." What were you

thinking about?

Ventura: Well, see first, people need to hear the question and people

need to hear the whole answer. That's just a little portion of

the answer and that's what caused a lot of the trouble. I ask

people if they've read the article or the interview. And nine

times out of 10 most say they haven't. I have the article right

here (pulls it out of jacket pocket) let me put my glasses on and

read it - what I was referring to in the article very much was

the far religious right and was not speaking generally about all

religion and what people do because I have no problem with the

way people deal with their own religion, it's their business.

Donaldson: In the very end of the last sentence there it does say

"religious right" but the antecedent was, "organized religion is

a sham." Shouldn't you have picked the words "religious right"

instead?

Ventura: I probably should have, Sam. I'm not making excuses but I do

three to five interviews per day, if you multiply that out to

five days a week, that's 25 per week, which for the year I'll do

over 1,000.

Donaldson: That said, do you believe that organized religion is a sham

and a crutch for weak-minded people?

Ventura: Not for everybody, no, not at all. I believe that some people

need it. I was also putting it in my perspective, in that I don't

need it. Many of my opinions are based on what happened in my

life. And one of the things I base it upon is that I was overseas

in a third-world nation one time and I had a friend over there.

And the friend was stuffing a large amount of money into an

envelope one day. And I asked him, "What's that for?" He said,

"My nephew is being baptized." And I said, "So what's the money

for?" He said, "If you don't pay, he doesn't get baptized." I

thought, you know, John did it for free in the river. I didn't

realize there was a price that went along with it. So my point

being in all of that was simply that there are certain elements

of organized religion that do prey upon weak-minded people and

these people need a crutch.

Donaldson: A lot of people took offense, I don't have to tell you

that. Could you look those people in the eye and say, "I'm

sorry?"

Ventura: I believe in what I believe. I have freedom of speech.

Getting elected I don't think takes away your first amendment

rights, your own thoughts and freedom of speech. I didn't mean to

offend people. I just speak my mind and what I believe in. Judge

me by how I govern, not how I give an interview or say something

to Playboy magazine as in this case might be.

Donaldson: You know there are other factors, as in President Clinton's

case - many people don't judge him on how he governs but on the

Monica Lewinsky business.

Ventura: But I haven't done anything! There's a slight difference,

Sam, between what I think in my thoughts and beliefs to actually

going out and doing something. I haven't done anything with bad

behavior since I've been in office.

Donaldson: Yes, but if you're going to run for high office...

Ventura: I'm not.

Donaldson: Let me finish my question. If you run for any office before

the public trust, shouldn't people know what you think if you

harbor these thoughts?

Ventura: It's amazing to me, and I'll tell you this honestly, Sam,

I've learned from this that if you're going to run for a high

office like governor, senator, congress or whatever - if you're

truly honest, you're going to have a rough go. If you speak truly

from your heart like I do you're going to have a hard time

because what's preferred is political correctness - "How do I

answer this question without offending anyone, even though I'm

not being honest with myself." Of course, that's how you're

taught in political science classes and how to achieve elections.

Well, I got elected being outspoken and for me to now change who

I am, I would be doing a disservice to the people who elected me

and to myself.

Donaldson: Here we go, Governor Ventura. One of our users on

ABCNEWS.com asks, "Governor Ventura, you're all over the news,

how do you find time to be governor?"

Ventura: Because I'm doing my job as governor, whether I'm on the news

or not, that's the choice of the news people. I'm focused on

doing my job. In fact, we were just out in Mankato unveiling the

first step of my big plan for Minnesota for what we want to

accomplish in my administration so I'm just doing my job as

governor. I happen to be just coming out to speak today at

Harvard because they've been asking me to speak for awhile since

I was elected. I'm totally focused on being governor and not the

other stuff.

Donaldson: Governor Ventura actually did something phenomenal this

year. He actually got his budget in - two weeks ahead of the

deadline! Now that just doesn't happen.

Donaldson: Another ABCNEWS.com user asks, "Will you keep your promise

not to run for another office while you are governor?

Ventura: Yes, I will. I made that commitment when I ran for governor.

One of my big criticisms of the republican candidate was the fact

that he had just won mayor for the second term in the city of St.

Paul and in six months was now running for governor. I felt that

it was fairly deceptive. What does that tell the people of St.

Paul? I was very critical of that and I will continue to be that

way. I will not seek a higher office. I will fulfill my term as

governor.

Donaldson: Would you eventually be the Reform Party candidate for

president?

Ventura: Yeah, absolutely. I've always maintained that. That

presidential stuff was media created. What started it was that

there was a fellow down in Florida on the Internet...

Donaldson: Don't knock the Internet with me, Governor!

Ventura: Oh no, I'm not knocking it. He started a campaign down in

Florida to draft me for president and the media latched on to it

and all of a sudden I'm a presidential candidate and I understand

in some ways why. I'm the highest elected official in the Reform

Party, which naturally pushes you to the forefront. But I have no

aspirations at all to run for that office.

Donaldson: Who do you like right now to be the candidate for the

Reform Party?

Ventura: I don't know who should be. I hope we have multiple

candidates, a group of free thinkers. We'll let the Reform Party

make that decision. You know what Sam? Call me a throwback - talk

to me in the year 2000 and I'll tell you.

Donaldson: Another ABCNEWS.com user asks, "What policies of the GOP

might be objectionable to you?"

Ventura: I'm not here to judge the GOP. I'm not nor have I ever been a

member of the GOP. I have my own beliefs on the budget in the

state of Minnesota. I am fiscally conservative but I am socially

liberal. I think that's what makes me not fit into either of the

mainstream parties - Democrats or Republicans.

Donaldson: We asked, in an online poll on ABCNEWS.com, "Should Jesse

Ventura keep his opinions to himself or keep speaking his mind?"

So far: 47% - keep speaking mind 52% - keep opinions to yourself

Donaldson: And, "Could you vote for Jesse Ventura for president?" So

far: 52% - no 47% - yes

Ventura: You know what Sam, you've got to want the job. And I don't

want the job.

Donaldson: Not yet. Don't ever say never!

Ventura: You never say never, but right now I don't want the job.

Donaldson: Governor, thanks for joining us.

Ventura: My pleasure.