Martin O'Malley: A Hillary Alternative

There are many Democrats around the country that aren't ready to just hand Hillary Clinton the Democratic nomination next year, many of us feel that she needs to earn it first.  That is why many of us are looking for an alternative. Unfortunately, alternative Democrats are hard to find at the moment. It seems they are afraid of the Clinton juggernaut unless that is, you're the former governor of Maryland and your name happens to be Martin O'Malley.

O'Malley has been quietly going around Iowa and New Hampshire seeking support in advance of his own 2016 campaign announcement.  He hasn't been flashy or made a lot of headlines as of yet but he is a true progressive, isn't afraid to show it and he has a record to stand on. Martin O'Malley is a former a two-term Mayor of the city of Baltimore and a former two-term Governor of Maryland:

"Called “the best manager in government today,” Governor O’Malley has been nationally recognized for his skillful leadership of Maryland through the recession, as well as his success in implementing critical progressive priorities such as raising the minimum wage to $10.10, signing marriage equality into law, abolishing the death penalty and passing the DREAM Act to provide in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants. During his two terms, O’Malley recovered 100% of the jobs lost during the recession, first and foremost by investing in education, innovation and infrastructure. Under his leadership, Education Week magazine named Maryland’s public schools #1 in the nation for an unprecedented five years in a row, the College Board listed Maryland as one of the top states in the country for holding down the cost of college, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce named Maryland #1 in innovation and entrepreneurship three years in a row. As a leader in sustainability, O’Malley expanded renewable energy, accelerated energy conservation, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and took bold action to restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay. 

Prior to serving as Governor of Maryland, O’Malley served two terms as Mayor of Baltimore. Governor O’Malley received his bachelor’s degree from Catholic University and his law degree from the University of Maryland..."

Check out his website and his Twitter page @GovernorOMalley to start familiarizing yourself with him. I think he makes an attractive alternative for the anti-Hillary crowd.

Holt Video - I'm With Rush

Just before the holiday weekend I received and email from the Rush Holt for Senate campaign that contained a link to the video below.

 In the video Holt's background as a scientist/teacher and his progressive stands and voting record in Congress are highlighted by a number of people both young and old that rattle off a list of issues that are near and dear to them.

The video also takes a passive aggressive, subtle swipe at one of Holt's U.S. Senate challengers, front runner Cory Booker. The swipe happens when a young African-American supporter states, " I like Cory Booker but for Senate, I'm with Rush".

Overall I like the video, it's effective, concise and charmingly quirky, playing off the "Big Bang Theory" geekiness of Holt's background and supporters.  



Rush is a teacher, scientist and a true progressive. No one will fight harder for progressive policies in the US Senate.

Rush has taken on the Republicans in Congress - voting against the war in Iraq, to repeal the PATRIOT Act, against warrantless surveillance of Americans, and against Republican cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

In the Senate, Rush will be a leader on progressive issues, like increasing education funding, expanding background checks to ALL gun sales and building a smart national energy grid.