Martin O'Malley Faces the Wonk's Dilemma.

[elleng]

The former Maryland governor is winning the ideas race.

Some 20 major candidates are running for president in 2016, but just one of them has put his name to a series of detailed policy proposals that activists in his base call "fantastic" and "great" and "moving the debate forward."

The problem? That candidate is stuck at 1 or 2 percent in the polls. . .

And yet O'Malley is leading the battle of ideas in his field. He's the first candidate to release detailed policy proposals on key issues like climate change (he proposes to phase out fossil fuels by 2050), immigration (he advocates the most far-reaching executive actions any candidate has suggested to help undocumented people, whom he calls "New Americans&quot , cracking down on Wall Street (he'd break up big banks and tightening regulations) and making college debt-free for students. The proposals, which buck the trend of candidates avoiding policy specificity, have earned praise from progressive wonks who follow those issues.

"These policy positions that Martin O'Malley is putting out here are fantastic," said Charles Chamberlain, the executive director of Democracy For America, a progressive advocacy group founded by Howard Dean.

On Wall Street reform, O'Malley goes beyond the standard populist call to split up the largest financial firms; he's delving into details like deferred prosecution deals at the Justice Department and on having the president appoint the Federal Reserve's general counsel. . .

"It's great that he's coming out with detailed progressive proposals now and moving the debate forward," said Nick Berning, a spokesman for MoveOn.org, calling O'Malley's ideas "responsive to where not just the progressive base is, but voters across America are."

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-07-16/martin-o-malley-faces-the-wonk-s-dilemma

[askew]

1. Then, why are progressive groups falling all over Hillary and Bernie when

O'Malley's positions are more detailed and more progressive? Perhaps they could spend some time talking up the candidate with the most progressive immigration plan and most progressive climate plan instead of applauding Hillary for mentioning immigration vaguely in a speech?

[elleng]

2. Dunno, askew,

somethings about 'human nature,' maybe.

Peeps treat this pre-election as if it were a horserace, 'betting' on those they think will win regardless of their merits. and as to hrc, she does have sharp elbows, will remember perceived slights, so there will be payback. And HABIT, we thought of her as a good guy a lot in the past, but times have changed.

Really does bother me.

[askew]

5. Me too. I find it so frustrating that it's considered a done deal and O'Malley

isn't even worth talking about in progressive circles or in most of the media.

Drives me crazy.

But, I was heartened to read that O'Malley's PAC is going to hire 100 staffers in Iowa to help GOTV and increase info about him.

I'd love to see them do a positive ad about him that airs in the first 4 primary states starting in the fall. I think if people knew about him, they'd be all in.

[Raine1967]

6. Slow and steady is the way to go for now. I agree about the frustration.

Keep in mind the people he hired from the start knew that this would be an underdog style campaign.



(Very few people thought DeBlasio would win in NYC you know… )

[Faux pas]

3. Saw him on Rachel

last night, I liked him. A fresh face with good ideas.

[elleng]

4. Yes, and a good interview.

I hope others agree.