On March 29, former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley sat down for an interview with ABC news to talk about the upcoming 2016 presidential race. He mentioned potential candidates, such as Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush, who may run in the upcoming election. O’Malley may even be considering running for the Democratic nomination.
During the interview with George Stephanopoulos, O’Malley said, “the presidency of the United States is not some crown to be passed between 2 families. It is an awesome and sacred trust”.Some have inferred this to be a reference to the two other presidential candidates.
Stephanopoulos mentioned that O’Malley supported Clinton in her last presidential run, in 2007. To this the former Governor concedes that he did, but while he has supported her in the past, he isn’t sure if Clinton is right for America now. He goes on to say, “I believe there are new perspectives that are needed in order for us to solve the problems that we face as Americans”.
He also questioned whether or not Clinton could let go of already failed economic policies. When asked by Stephanopoulos if he thought Clinton could take on powerful special interests O’Malley remarked, “I don’t know. I don’t know where she stands.”
Instead of making attacks against other candidates O’Malley pointed out his own track record with Maryland: “what I know for my own part is in Maryland we did the things that worked”. He talked about how as governor of Maryland he was able to help create jobs, keep a high median income for the state, and pass laws of inclusion.
“It’s not about being for or against any other candidate, it is about being for the national interest,” said O’Malley. The former governor also addressed the economy during his interview, stating that national interests need to come before special interests like Wall Street in order for the economy to get back on track.
O’Malley also addressed national threats like a nuclear Iran and climate change, stating, “We have to confront manmade and natural threats.” On the nuclear Iranian issue, he expressed agreement that Obama’s move to strike a deal with Iran was the best course of action. He also mentioned how Maryland put sanctions on Iranian nuclear development earlier than many other states with the goal of getting them to negotiate.
Stephanopoulos pointed out how much O’Malley sounded like a presidential candidate, but then pointed out how a poll done back in October, by the Washington Post, did not make him look like a favorable choice. 70% of people in Maryland said he would not make a good presidential candidate. He also ranked behind Clinton, Biden, and Warren as a possible Democratic nominee.
“I believe that what people want, especially this year, is proven executive experience.”
O’Malley said in response. He pointed to his track record, mentioning how Maryland has had the highest ranked public schools in the country 5 years in a row and how they’ve reduced violent crime to record lows.
O’Malley concluded by telling Stephanopoulos that he will not make a decision about running for the Democratic nominee until sometime this spring.
Sources:
Bell, Ben. “Gov. Martin O’Malley: Presidency Not a Crown to Be Passed Between Two Families.” ABC News. ABC News Network, 29 Mar. 2015. Web. 07 Apr. 2015. <http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/gov-martin-omalley-presidency-crown-passed-families/story?id=29988770>.
Berger, Daniel. “O’Malley: Presidency ‘not Some Crown’ Reserved for Clintons, Bushes.” Msnbc.com. NBC News Digital, 29 Mar. 2015. Web. 07 Apr. 2015. <http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/martin-omalley-presidency-not-some-crown-hillary-clinton-jeb-bush>.
Cillizza, Chris. “Just How Negative Is Martin O’Malley Willing to Go on Hillary Clinton?” Washington Post. The Washington Post, 30 Mar. 2015. Web. 07 Apr. 2015. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/03/30/just-how-negative-is-martin-omalley-willing-to-go-on-hillary-clinton/>.
Witcover, Jules. “Martin O’Malley Makes a Case for Challenging Hillary.” Baltimoresun.com. The Baltimore Sun, 3 Apr. 2015. Web. 07 Apr. 2015. <http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/bal-martin-omalley-makes-a-case-for-challenging-hillary-20150402-story.html>.
