Governor Martin O’Malley (D-MD), in a time when many in higher office are deciding on whether or not they will seek the presidency, has expressed interest in the endeavor. O’Malley, who is in his second term, appeared on CBS and voiced interest in joining the race which former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has led. He would face long odds if he joined the race. A Quinnipiac showed that Clinton is favored by 60 percent over the next preferred potential candidate, Joe Biden.
“Well, I’m looking at that,” O’Malley said to CBS regarding a potential 2016 presidential run. When asked later in the interview about his battle against current frontrunner Hilary Clinton, he stated that he wouldn’t be dissuaded from running and it would not be a deal-breaker. Although he voiced his thoughts on the questions asked from CBS in a Face the Nation interview, it is seen as sidestepping the ultimatum – facing Hilary Clinton.
O’Malley said that his foremost campaign ideals would be to bolster the middle class. The Governor’s popularity is increasing and his approval numbers have been rising as he nears the culmination of his tenure in Maryland. 55 percent of Maryland residents approve of how Governor O’Malley is handling the executive seat of the state. His approval rating is a six-point increase from the previous year. Last year, Governor Martin O’Malley was the center of legislative quarrels involving the repealing of Maryland’s death penalty, passing stricter gun control laws and was leading an effort to legalize same-sex marriage. His approval numbers as governor have tempted him to make a run in the 2016 presidential race.
While Governor O’Malley is enjoying inspiring job approval numbers, his approval falls along party lines at the end of the day. He is now pushing for an increase in the state’s minimum wage law – possibly the most partisan policy in politics. The breadth of this policy gap has turned him into one the most polarizing governors in the country. O’Malley has now joined a syndicate of governors such as Mark Dayton (D-MN) and Scott Walker (R-WI), both of whom have battled their state legislatures with controversial policies.
Less than one-year remains for O’Malley’s final term in office. The residents of the deeply Democratic state are more inclined to rejoice in his accomplishments rather than squander over his letdown. However, his favorableness does not precede him as did his tenure as the tough-on-crime mayor of Baltimore. Moreover, the populous is bifurcated on whether O’Malley’s governorship has been successful. Simultaneously, a current poll found that a very small percentage of Maryland Democrats are prone to support him in 2016 over the current Democratic frontrunner, Hilary Clinton.
A Washington Post Poll showed that Clinton is the primary choice among nearly 72 percent of Maryland Democrats, as well as left-leaning independents in a theoretical 2016 matchup. Coming in at second with single digits was Vice President Joe Biden, followed by Martin O’Malley at 6 percent.
One of the largest issues for the 2016 presidential campaign will be the President’s Affordable Health Care Act (ACA). Many Democrats in Congress have come under fire since nearly its inception. Insofar as this continues, Democrats may take a lesser role in campaigning the issue. However, O’Malley doesn’t believe it will hinder his advances. He stated in an interview that perceptions of the ACA will greatly change once the enrollment period comes to an end in March. Although his chances may be slim just around two years from the election, Martin O’Malley’s ideas for the presidency may come to fruition as his temptation furthers him towards a future political battle with other Democratic candidates.
By: Alex Lemieux
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