In Spite of Incessant Polls and Few Debates, O’Malley May Surprise A Lot of People
On January 8, Vox published “The case for Martin O’Malley”, by Matthew Yglesias. If you haven’t yet read it, please click on this link and read it now. Matt not only lays out a compelling case, he also explains a big part of why O’Malley has for the most part “failed to gain traction”, as practically every main-stream media story keeps repeating…ad nauseam:
“Nobody read early stories about O’Malley, so fewer stories got written. With less coverage focused on O’Malley, nobody heard anything about him - driving low poll numbers that further justified scant coverage.”
Regarding those “low poll numbers”, the incessant polling this year has had a circular, undemocratic, and perverse impact upon some of the best candidates in both parties.
“Think about it. Where but in America do polls of around 400 mostly poorly informed people have any influence over who gets a chance to debate? Where do such tiny polls have so much influence over who might be elected to one of the most powerful positions in the world?”
“…Ever heard of a vicious circle? That’s rhetorical, because I’m sure you have.”
And so it is that 54% of those polled still didn’t know much of anything about Martin O’Malley just before the holidays hit. That sort of tough fight might discourage other candidates, but it’s actually encouraged Team O’Malley because they realize “To Win In Iowa Or New Hampshire, It May Be Better To Poll Worse Nationally”. No, I am not kidding. That’s not just the title of an article, it’s a fact, which you can read about at this link. (Spoiler alert: some of it is very wonky.)
But what’s not the least bit wonky is the great enthusiasm of Team O’Malley, some of which you can see in this video, and also in these great pictures.
What’s also not so wonky are some of the comments about Martin O’Malley since the third debate:
- “I think we need a twenty first century leader who actually understands technology because he grew up with it. I will vote for O’Malley….Although I love Bernie for his conviction and Hillary for her service and willingness to take on the fight, I want the new leadership O’Malley brings.”
- “I didn’t even know who you were before the debate tonight and I honestly hate how you got covered up in the media…. Watching the debate tonight honestly made me see that you were the obvious choice and I hope the rest of the Democratic party/America realizes this as well!”
- “… I was feeling very pro Bernie, until tonight, when something about Martin had me heading to his website, and made me realise that here is man who says he will do something and actually goes and does it….. A rare thing in the world of politics! My allegiance with Bernie has faltered (I thought he was going to go into cardiac arrest tonight, he was so wound up and red-faced), and Hilary is just never going to be an option for me….”
- “Great job tonight, Governor. The moderators were trying to marginalize you to make it the Bernie and Hillary Show…. your points on gun control, the student loan debt crisis and raising wages for the middle class were exactly what younger progressives like myself want to hear….Again, great job, and I hope you can come from behind and win the nomination.”
- “I was highly impressed with Martin O’Malley last night. I saw a candidate who could defeat any Republican and win swing votes. i have been a Bernie Sanders supporter since day one because I believe in his ideas, but last night he missed a few marks and I felt like he was pandering for the first to what people want to hear rather than to what is right. I think Hillary Clinton is too caustic and last night she even got me upset. She tries hard to be a uniter within the Party but she exposed some truths last night that are hard to forgive.”
- “He actually has a plan for what he would do as a president….He doesn’t have the Washington baggage that Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders do. He has experience in bringing people together, which Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio do not. And he listens, which Donald Trump does not have in his skill set…. Martin O’Malley deserves a second look from everyone, he has the skill set that could bring our disparate Congress to the point of actually accomplishing something.”
Since you’ve read this far, you’re probably a Democrat. If so, please consider the growing divide between our Sanders and Clinton camps. We need to fix this, and there is an option that very few have yet considered. There’s also a good chance that you’re considering supporting Martin O’Malley. If so, good for you, and there are many more links about him in this other story.
Finally, “Democrats Should Have a Big, Bold, Rip-Roaring Debate About Electability”, and the current polls really don’t predict electability at all, contrary to everything Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump might have us believe.
