Largely inaudible amongst Clinton 2016 speculative chatter, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has been laying the foundation for his own presidential run since disclosing his intentions to CNN on March 31.
Beltway wonks invariably regard Gov. O’Malley as a fly on Hillary’s windshield, and early polling numbers do little to challenge this perception. According to The Des Moines Register’s December (2013) Poll, fifty percent of Iowans polled favored Clinton over any other Democratic or Republican potential candidate.
In the same poll, only thirteen percent thought positively of O’Malley, while seventeen percent favored Vice President Joe Biden, leaving a sizeable portion of voting-age Iowans who are ignorant of O’Malley.
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It is, therefore, no surprise that O’Malley is planning a visit to the make-or-break caucus state later this month. The Baltimore Sun recently detailed O’Malley’s plan to deliver the keynote address at the Iowa Democratic party convention.
The Sun describes the trip as “part of a more intense round of travel,” in which he plans to visit fellow early-primary state New Hampshire. The Iowa address will mark O’Malley’s first visit to the state in approximately two years.
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O’Malley’s term-limitedness prevents him from serving again as Maryland Governor, offering a springboard for his Lieutenant Governor, Anthony G. Brown, to snatch the seat in November. The proximity of Brown’s gubernatorial campaign to O’Malley’s presidential campaign has been mutually beneficial.
On May 13, Bill Clinton spoke at a fundraiser for Brown, during which he both gave his support for the gubernatorial candidate and applauded O’Malley’s achievements as Governor.
The Washington Post reported, “The former president went out of his way to praise O’Malley’s leadership during his two terms in the Annapolis statehouse.” Former President Clinton then, rather cryptically, added, “Maryland has got a lot to teach the rest of America,” possibly alluding to O’Malley’s national aspirations.
The Clinton-O’Malley connection originated during the latter’s tenure as Baltimore mayor and would be quite valuable, politically, were Hillary not running in 2016.
Politico first broke news of an April phone call between O’Malley and Hillary, during which Clinton “told him he should do what he needs to do,” ostensibly offering her blessings for an O’Malley 2016 campaign.
Given the intimacy of the Clinton-O’Malley connection, it is hard to believe that Hillary would green light a pricey campaign for a candidate with such little national acclaim.
Hillary’s stagnancy does, however, benefit O’Malley, as it gives him considerably more time than other potential Democratic candidates to garner the requisite political capital to make a serious run at the White House.
Former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, regarding O’Malley’s run, argued, “He actually would fit the demographic well as a vice president to Hillary.” Rendell’s suggestion, while theoretically logical, fails to explain why Clinton would offer support for O’Malley’s campaign. Why would Clinton support an arbitrary O’Malley campaign if her sights were also set on the Oval Office?
This is, of course, unless Hillary Clinton doesn’t run for president in 2016. Her delay in announcing her candidacy could, instead, be a strategic bump to O’Malley, her political ally and personal acquaintance, affording him time to establish himself in key primary states while other potential candidates fester in a swamp of speculation.
The Clintons’ support for O’Malley – aside from returning the favor for the governor’s political support during the 2008 primary – would give the couple a direct line of communication into the White House, meanwhile shielding them from the media scrutiny that cut short both of their political careers.
For O’Malley, the Clintons’ backing would greatly catalyze the process of gaining political legitimacy and assure him millions in additional campaign funding.
In light of O’Malley’s phone conversation with Hillary, Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) told Politico, “It’s hard for me to see him running against her because of their friendship and mutual respect for each other.” Perhaps Rep. Cummings is on to something.
