As the Democratic National Convention begins in Charlotte, all of the eyes of the political world will turn to Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley. O’Malley has been given a prime time spot on the dais on the 1st night of the DNC Convention because of his frequent appearances as the chief surrogate for the Obama campaign
O’Malley, the two term Governor of Maryland, got in hot water on Sunday by stating said that Americans were not better off than they were four years ago, has an opportunity to redeem himself in the eyes of his fellow Democrats. All he has to do is put his ego, and his aspirations for 2016 aside, for about 15 minutes on national television. While I believe O’Malley will temper his baser instincts tonight, it will not be because of a overriding loyalty for Barack Obama, it will be for promoting his own purposes.
Simply put, the Governor of Maryland will do whatever it takes to position himself as the darling of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party. In Maryland, O’Malley has single handedly resuscitated the Maryland Republican Party and the Tea Party grassroots movement when they were left for dead after the implosion of the last campaign by former Governor Robert Ehrlich. The three issues that successfully were petitioned to the ballot were fights that O’Malley has lost over the past 18 months and they were fights that he did not need to engage.
The intriguing aspect of the referendum effort is that O’Malley could care less whether the laws are upheld in November or overturned by the voters. All three issues (The Dream Act, Same Sex Marriage and the Congressional District Map) were crafted to legitimize O’Malley’s credentials with the liberal segment of the party so he can raise money for a national run in 2016.
At this point, the only thing standing in the way of O’Malley’s eventual presidential run is this pesky business of Obama running for re-election. O’Malley’s mission is quite simple – don’t screw up. He will make Obama look good because it is in his long term interest.
Faculty, Department of Political Science, Towson University. Graduate from Liberty University Seminary.