Progressive Iowans Should Vote for Martin O'Malley
from fcvaguy at Daily Kos:
I have my own personal theory for how people vote. Setting aside blind partisans who just pull a lever for one party or another without even a fundamental grasp of what the candidates stand for I think when informed voters are faced with a choice of two good candidates, they make their choice based on who they see as the most principled, who they believe is most authentic, and whether or not the candidate is not just perceived as a leader, but has demonstrated real leadership...
In Martin O'Malley's case, he has stood for core progressive Democratic principles and successfully lead on them in his 4 years as a Mayor of a large city and 8 years as Governor of Maryland. For example, while he was Governor, he did a great job at keeping a lid on the cost college education in the midst of the Great Recession while other Governors were raising tuition costs. In 2014, he penned an essay at the Huffington Post where it is clear that he understands and appreciates that investing in education, making college affordable represents investment in the middle class and the future of our country. And, he not only mouths the words, he has a record of leadership and accomplishment to prove it.
Now, Martin O'Malley is offering up bold ideas, many of which other progressive leaders like Elizabeth Warren and Bill de Blasio also embrace:
- We must reinstate Glass-Steagall, and break up the big banks
- We must not only protect Social Security, we must expand it because its good for the economy, good for the middle class and good for the country
- We must raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour
And finally, when Martin O'Malley tells us what he wants to do, he comes across as genuinely authentic. He not only believes what he's saying, he's got the record of accomplishment that proves he believes in what he's saying, and the record of accomplishment that says he's a successful leader in achieving progressive policy. There's no ambiguity, there's no sense that he's a weathervane, and there's not a hint of triangulation. He's a real, authentic, principled leader. And thats why I believe he's the best candidate progressives and the Democratic Party should get behind in 2016.
To use Meteor Blades' sig line, we should be asking all candidates:
Don't tell me what you believe, show me what you do and I will tell you what you believe.
read: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/1/30/1477318/-Progressive-Iowans-Should-Vote-for-Martin-O-Malley
