Who is Martin O’Malley?

NPR in May as part of there 5 things you should know series, wrote an article which included the following:

He cut his teeth in politics working for Gary Hart’s presidential bid.

He wasn’t born in Baltimore.

He lost his first race by fewer than 50 votes.

He puts his faith in data.

He’s the frontman of a band.

Have you ever heard of O’Malley? Well I had, only as you know I politics is my hobby,  I live in the Northeast and he was governor of Maryland.

And yes, he wants to be the next Democratic President of the United States.

His standing in the polls as of 10/27/15 says he has no chance, with numbers between 1 and 6% and Hillary Clinton 37 to 41 points ahead of him.

But he is still running and listening to an interview he gave yesterday, is not yet ready to throw in the towel.  So, in case Murphy’s Law decides to get involved, we should know something about him.

Here are a few of his quotes:

On Civil Rights

“My fellow Americans, I want to talk with you today about The American Dream we share: its powerful history; its current condition; and most importantly, its urgent need for rebuilding.

Our nation was founded on two self-evident truths: That all of us are created equal, and that we are endowed by our Creator with the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

With these words, the American dream began. No fine print. No expiration date. All of us are included. Women and men. Black and white people. Irish Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans, Native Americans. Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Americans. Young and old. Rich and poor. Workers and business owners. Gay, lesbian, transgender and straight Americans. Every person is important, each of us is needed.”

Source: 2016 presidential campaign website, MartinOMalley.com , 5/30/2015

“Hillary Clinton's position on same-sex marriage has evolved. She opposed it 2008, said it was "a matter left to the states" in 2014, and now supports it in this campaign. In contrast, O'Malley has held solid ground on the issue and led Maryland's passage of a same-sex marriage law in 2012.

This month he said he was "glad secretary Clinton's come around to the right positions on these issues" and criticized her for poll-testing policies rather than following principles.”

Source: Irish Times 2015 coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls , 4/27/2015

On Crime

“Last month, television sets around the world were filled with the anger and the rage, and the flames of some of the humblest and hardest hit neighborhoods of Baltimore. For all of us who have given so much of our energies to making our city a safer, fairer, more just and more prosperous place, it was a heartbreaking night in the life of our City.

But there is something to be learned from that night, and there is something to be offered to our country from those flames. For what took place here was not only about race... not only about policing in America.

It's about everything it is supposed to mean to be an American. The scourge of hopelessness that happened to ignite here that evening, transcends race or geography.

The hard truth of our shared reality is this: Unemployment in many American cities and in many small towns across the United States is higher now than it was eight years ago. Conditions of extreme and growing poverty, create conditions for extreme violence.”

Source: 2016 presidential campaign website, MartinOMalley.com , 5/30/15

On Corporations

“ In our idea of country, there is no such thing as a spare American. There is, however, a growing injustice in our country today. It is the gap between the strong and just country our children need for us to be, and the country we are in danger of becoming. For today in America, 70% of us are earning the same or less than they were 12 years ago. Today in America, family owned businesses and farms are struggling to compete with ever larger concentrations of corporate power.

Powerful, wealthy special interests here at home have used our government to create--in our own country--an economy that is leaving a majority of our people behind. An economy where a majority of our people are unheard, unseen, un-needed, and left to conclude that their lives and labors are literally worth less today than they were yesterday. We are allowing our land of opportunity to be turned into a land of inequality. Main Street struggles, while Wall Street soars.”

Source: 2016 presidential campaign website, MartinOMalley.com , 5/30/15

Now you know a bit about Martin O'Malley.