Unlike Some Candidates, I Don't Consider Republicans My Enemies.

[elleng]

'In the first Democratic primary debate, each candidate was asked to name an enemy they were proud to have made during their political careers. Hillary Clinton, the current frontrunner, named roughly half the country as her "enemy" when she replied "[...] probably the Republicans."

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who is currently polling within the margin of error in nearly every national poll, thinks that Clinton's answer to that question is a sign that she is far too partisan and is unwilling to work with others on Capitol Hill. In a new piece published today on Yahoo! News, O'Malley tries to parlay himself as a middle-of-the-road Democrat, not an overly partisan or "ideologically extreme" candidate.

“How can you pull people together when you declare up front that all Republicans are your enemies?” he asked me, referring to Clinton’s striking comment in the first debate. “Or when you hem and haw about whether or not you believe in capitalism?

“I don’t believe that all Republicans are my enemy. They’re my neighbors. And I actually do believe in capitalism when it’s practiced in ways that encourage and defend fair competition and push back against the concentration of monopoly power as the big banks now enjoy it.”

While it's all good and dandy that O'Malley doesn't see himself as being as "extreme" as his opponents, and that he's at least on paper open to working across the aisle, this rhetoric isn't resonating well with voters at all. It's rather telling that Clinton's comments regarding Republicans as her enemies barely made a blip on the national media compared to (the now dropped out) Jim Webb's remarks that he killed the Vietnamese soldier who threw a grenade at him.

As the second Democratic primary debate is on November 14, O'Malley had better hope that he is able to convey some kind of message to the voters--or else he'll become even more irrelevant than he already is.'

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/christinerousselle/2015/11/05/martin-omalley-unlike-some-candidates-i-dont-consider-republicans-my-enemies-n2076295

Please someone tweet her, I don't tweet, and tell her it's not her job to call rational, accomplished candidates 'irrelevant.' Thanks

[HassleCat]

1. MOM is close, but he better watch out for "frenemies."

People who act like friends and then stab you in the back. Reminds me of an old song, Backstabbers, by the O'Jays. Look up the lyrics and you'll see what I mean. http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/the_ojays/back_stabbers.html

[elleng]

2. Who do you have in mind, as his 'frenemies???'

P.S. I do remember Backstabbers!

[HassleCat]

4. Anyone who complains about lack of bipartisanship

And then blocks all his judicial nominees. That sort of thing.

[elleng]

6. So you're referring to FUTURE frenemies, of POTUS O'Malley?

I thought you had some particular ones in mind today.

[HassleCat]

7. Yes, future frenemies

He would find a different situation at the federal level than what he experienced at the local and state levels.

[elleng]

8. Yes he will BUT

he has dealt with it successfully, so has important experience in his 'bank,' including knowing how to select his own staff.

[deathrind]

3. I will give him kudos

For taking the high road reply there but the fact of the matter is that until republicans regain that lost knowledge of working with dems' their compromise in order to achieved forward motion in governing they are perhaps not the enemy but certainly a huge obstacle.

The third biggest mistake President Obama made was thinking republicans would work with him and put country before party.

[elleng]

5. They are a HUGE obstacle, no doubt.

Thanks for giving him kudos. While MD repugs probably not as bad as Congressional repugs, he spent a lot of time working with them and accomplishing many things.

I doubt that President Obama actually THOUGHT repugs would work with him, but he had to try. Seems his techniques not suitable, in the face of such intransigence.