Doug Friedline

Douglas Friedline (1957–2006) was a Minnesota-born political campaign director in the United States. Friedline worked exclusively with independent and third party candidates with the goal of breaking the two party oligopoly in American politics. Friedline gained most of his notoriety during the 1997 election of his home state in which he helped then professional wrestler Jesse Ventura become governor of Minnesota.

Political career

Doug Friedline is best known for his unorthodox and often irreverent style of advertising. In 1997 Friedline used action figures to represent candidate Jesse Ventura in a number of television spots. In radio ads Ventura was cast in the role of a super hero fighting special interests and the opposing candidates. Friedline used similar tactics again in the 2006 Florida Election when he masterminded a multimedia blitz for Reform Party candidate Max Linn. Television, internet, and newspaper spots featured Linn as a classic cartoon hero in the vein of Superman battling various incarnations of Republican candidate (and now governor) Charlie Crist.

In 1999 Friedline spearheaded an exploratory committee for the Presidential run of Donald Trump. In 2001 Friedline was the campaign manager for independent NJ Gubernatorial candidate Bill Schluter. Friedline has also worked in one form or another on political ventures involving John McCain, Bruce Springsteen, Ralph Nader, Matt Ahearn, Ted Glick, and Joe Piscopo.

Anytown, USA

Friedline was a subject of the documentary film Anytown, USA. The film followed his attempts to get independent candidate Dave Musikant enough write-in votes to become mayor of Bogota, New Jersey in the 2003 election.

Death

Friedline was found dead in his rented apartment just days after the completion of the Max Linn campaign in St. Petersburg, Florida, in November 2006. He has suffered a massive heart attack. Friedline, at the age of 49 had 5 stents inserted into his heart after forgoing a quintuple bypass.