Will WWE Chair Vince McMahon Hurt Linda’s Senate Hopes?

Photo of Vince McMahon courtesy of WWE

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Since former WWE CEO Linda McMahon announced that she will challenge embattled Sen. Chris Dodd for his seat in 2010, a number of highly reputable sources have praised McMahon’s business savvy and professionalism—especially in contrast to her more colorful husband, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.

Vince is known to be bombastic, egocentric, and a dedicated performer in the ring. [See video of Vince below.] His past antics could become a sore subject in Connecticut, where residents watch wrestling less than voters in other states. Even pro wrestlers have mixed feelings about the duo: “The idea that Vince McMahon could be in the vicinity of one of our lawmaking bodies just frightens me,” says former wrestling announcer Jim Cornette. Jake “The Snake” Roberts, told Impact Wrestling that Linda “was always the steady oar in the water…Anybody that can put up with all the wrestlers and stuff…has certainly got their head screwed on right.” Lanny “The Genius” Poffo agreed, noting to the Daily Beast that McMahon would be a great Senator because “she is the opposite of Nancy Pelosi.”

But while Linda runs on a platform of public transparency, has her husband already displayed too much?

Watch WWE Chairman Vince McMahon:

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

payment methods

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