Back in 2012 the "Third Way" think tank was promoting Martin O'Malley as a "hot prospect" for 2016

Martin O'Malley's "private" media session hosted by Third Way think tank. For the past few months, Maryland Juice has been tracking the careful positioning of Gov. Martin O'Malley in the 2016 White House lineup. On Tuesday we noted that CNN contributor Bill Schneider had booked Gov. O'Malley for a media talk that billed him as a "hot prospect" for 2016. The event was hosted by a centrist Democratic think tank called "The Third Way." Now it seems that media speculation about the future of Maryland's Governor is sprouting up all over the place. Below we flag a few interesting press hits about the 2016 White House race. Among the bits of juice below are recent comments from Governor O'Malley about the recent CD6 Democratic Primary, comments about transvaginal probes, and remarks about Maryland's budget battle.
http://www.marylandjuice.com/2012/04/juiceblender-reporters-on-gov-martin.html

bigtree

(85,998 posts)

4. yes, they sought the support of this bright and emerging Democrat

Reply to HFRN (Reply #2)

Mon Jul 6, 2015, 12:34 PM

Jul 2015

... but he rejected their politics and offered his own decidedly progressive vision as an alternative.

"O'Malley has positioned himself to the left with his rhetoric and policies in the city," said Keith Haller, a veteran Maryland political pollster...

The mayor calls himself a "progressive liberal," a label that encompasses positions that seem to span the range of party ideology: He has made law and order his top priority, but he is against the death penalty.

O'Malley said he was recruited to join the DLC soon after he was elected mayor three years ago. He said that although he enjoys debating strategy with the organization, he doesn't subscribe to all the positions of its leadership.

He said he made clear his differences in discussions that included leaders such as Sens. Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut and Evan Bayh of Indiana and focused on what the council calls the "battle over the soul of the Democratic Party."

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2002-12-04/news/0212040053_1_martin-omalley-democratic-leadership-council-democratic-party