It seems a little peculiar to write about anything this week that doesn’t involve a discussion of terrorism or security, but the political world continues to turn here at home.
One news item you might have missed is that, per The Washington Post, former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley’s campaign is “perilously close to financial collapse.”
The Post notes that his campaign has asked about 30 staffers at the Baltimore headquarters to relocate to Iowa, which, they argue, suggests O’Malley knows he needs a strong showing in that state’s caucuses to remain viable.
As well, they say he is planning to ask for matching public funds, which would help provide funding in the short term but impose state-by-state spending caps in the future that would make it hard for him to compete later on if he gets that far.
To put things in perspective, by October O’Malley had raised $3.3 million with $805,987 on hand. Clinton currently has almost $33 million to play with and Sanders $27 million.
As of November 15th, the Real Clear Politics polling average has Clinton at 54%, Sanders at 30%, and O’Malley at 5% in Iowa.
Perhaps O’Malley’s only shot, to the extent that he has one, is to go hard in Iowa and hope Sanders trips up. If O’Malley can find a way to make himself the viable anti-Hillary candidate, he may have a future.
Is there any reason to believe that will happen? Probably not.
Though some will disagree, Bernie Sanders was the best thing that could have happened to Hillary Clinton. He’s been a strong challenger, but has a natural ceiling that O’Malley would likely not have had if he had been the anti-Hillary option.
It will be fun and educational, in a policy wonkish sort of way, to see Sanders and Clinton chat in mostly polite debates over the next many months. After New Hampshire, and maybe before, O’Malley won’t be there.