Due to his poor showing in Iowa, Martin O’Malley has decided to drop out of the presidential race, and this time, it’s likely for good. The former governor of Maryland, who is less than popular in his home state, received just under one percent in Iowa, so he is hanging it up.
According to the New York Post , Martin O’Malley was never able to get out of single digits in his run to be taken seriously as a Democratic candidate. O’Malley dropped out even before a winner had been named last night. His voice remained relatively unheard next to Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Sources close to the campaign trail say that O’Malley didn’t strike a chord with voters.
“The ex-governor struggled to raise money and was mired in single-digit polls for months, despite an active operation in Iowa and New Hampshire. His campaign was forced to accept federal matching funds in the fall and he failed to become Clinton’s chief alternative as Sanders tapped into the party’s liberal base.”
And the Freddie Gray incident in Baltimore didn’t help because it caused many to scrutinize his time as mayor of the city.
“Along the way, O’Malley’s campaign dealt with poor timing and some bad breaks. His campaign kickoff was complicated by riots in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray in police custody, bringing fresh scrutiny of O’Malley’s law enforcement record as the city’s mayor.”
WATCH: @MartinOMalley suspends presidential campaign during remarks in Iowa https://t.co/Ee89yWlp7t https://t.co/jgVJWH3WwN
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) February 2, 2016
Janell Ross of the Washington Post said, “ Martin O’Malley, we hardly knew ya,” referring to his short time in the campaign. Ross said that O’Malley’s run for the White House was “memorable but less than auspicious.” And there is some hint of a lack of success and an excess of ego.
“As early as October, there were reports of O’Malley becoming that guy we all sort of know who shows up at the party with a guitar and basically subjects others to a forcible serenade. O’Malley and his campaign kept describing this sort of thing as a kind of treat for supporters. Perhaps O’Malley and his campaign staff understood a little more clearly Monday night how people really feel about guys with acoustic guitars and day jobs.”
And O’Malley also has a history of being photographed in muscle shirts.
“Back in June, The Fix pointed out that O’Malley, on the campaign trail, had been photographed one too many times shirtless — or sleeveless with guns on display. It seemed that O’Malley had some sort of compulsion to show America what he was working with. That’s a choice. But not, apparently, one that helped his campaign.”
And then there was the rapping. Yes, rapping. Watch and listen at your own peril.
“Also in December, O’Malley paid a visit to the University of Texas at Austin and allowed a pair of students to goad him into rapping about his campaign. Enough said. You may watch the video for yourself, or spare yourself the embarrassment. Choose your own adventure.”
Democrat Martin O’Malley drops out of presidential race: https://t.co/Rup7PIpNFz
— AL.com (@aldotcom) February 2, 2016
The Atlantic is saying that Martin O’Malley’s love of Irish poetry is as fitting as it is eloquent and often sad. That and the link between Martin O’Malley and Tommy Carcetti from the award winning show, The Wire . It’s not a flattering comparison, but it has been said that O’Malley is the inspiration for the character. In November, O’Malley quoted Padraic Pearse for the press.
“The next day, O’Malley begins his morning with a town-hall meeting at Wayfarer Coffee Roaster, a coffee shop in Laconia. (After leaving, he excitedly mentions “The Wayfarer” is one of his favorite poems by writer and Irish revolutionary Padraic Pearse. He clears his throat and recites the first lines: “The beauty of the world hath made me sad/This beauty that will pass.”)”
Martin O’Malley ends his presidential campaign https://t.co/bnxMhhdCQI pic.twitter.com/QLi4BdhlbE
— Mashable (@mashable) February 2, 2016
O’Malley now returns to Baltimore to write a book and accept a post at Johns Hopkins,
Why do you think Martin O’Malley failed as a candidate? Do you think if a Democrat wins, O’Malley has any chance of a job in the winner’s administration?
[Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
