Despite Clinton: O'Malley In Iowa Amid 2016 Talk

[Purveyor]

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Martin O'Malley's latest foray into Iowa began, appropriately, in a place called Clinton.

The Maryland governor is filling the void in Iowa, New Hampshire and beyond during the early stages of the 2016 presidential race, campaigning for fellow Democrats and making personal appeals while former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton remains the prohibitive - if yet undeclared - favorite.

In the summer before November's mid-term elections, Clinton's dominant position in a hypothetical field has limited Democrats' activities in early presidential voting states even while an ambitious slate of Republicans descend. Active Democrats here say O'Malley has become an exception, cultivating relationships and developing a reputation as a loyal foot soldier for the party.

"He's doing more than anybody else," said Mike Gronstal, the Iowa Senate Democratic leader. "Others have indicated they are interested in doing some things. But we haven't seen it yet." He declined to name the other Democrats who have inquired.

O'Malley is laying the groundwork for a presidential campaign whether or not Clinton runs, although it remains unclear if he will challenge the popular former first lady. O'Malley was the second governor to endorse Clinton's presidential campaign in 2007 and maintains ties to former President Bill Clinton, who brought the then-Baltimore mayor to Northern Ireland on a presidential delegation trip in 2000 and appeared in an ad for O'Malley during his first campaign for governor.

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[DFW]

1. He could have changed his mind ni the meantime, of course

But O'Malley has hinted in the past that he was interested in running if Hillary decided not to.

Either he knows something Hillary wants only him to know, or he's covering his bases.

One way or the other, at this stage it's something to watch, not something to speculate over.

[JaneQPublic]

2. If Hillary runs, Martin is running for VP.

...that's my take, anyway.

He was a big HRC supporter in 2008, while she was still the "inevitable" candidate, and I bet he would love to be her veep.

But if her inevitability goes the same direction as it did in 2008, he wants to have all his ducks in a row to be a viable prez candidate.

That's my take, anyway.

[DFW]

3. I agree up to a point

Her "inevitability," as you so accurately put it, was only derailed in 2008 because Obama had a better staff. She went for friends, he went for competence. She realized her mistake too late, and even then, she didn't lose by much, she only lost by enough.

I see no such inevitability this time, and I'm still far from convinced she wants to run. Oh, she'd love to be president. I'm just not convinced she wants to be a candidate for president. There's a lot of BS you have to go through, and she knows, probably better than anyone still alive (except Al Gore and Mitt Romney) what it means to go through all that and still lose.

O'Malley knows this as well. I guess it's possible he has had no contact with her at all up to now, but I find that a highly unlikely scenario.