O'Malley Rally: May 30 at 10:00 AM -- Received This Email

[Koinos]

Martin O'Malley - O' PAC

Thanks for RSVPing to Martin O’Malley’s big announcement this Saturday in Baltimore at Federal Hill Park. We’re excited to see you there.

Parking will be available at 1215 E Fort Ave, Baltimore, MD 21230 and there will be a shuttle to the park. We're expecting a big turnout so make sure to get there early. Doors open at 8 AM and the band will start at 9.

Don’t let your friends and family miss out on this historic announcement. Make sure they RSVP at omalleyannouncement.com and share the event on Facebook and Twitter.

See you there,

Mollie Byron

[askew]

1. So jealous. Have fun.

I am surprised they expect a big turnout though. Bernie got 4,000 on a Wed afternoon. I can't see them matching that on a Saturday morning, but I hope I am wrong. I'd love to see a huge diverse crowd welcome O'Malley to the race.

[Koinos]

2. We're really looking forward to it.

[elleng]

3. Baltimore's easier to get to by many more people than is Burlington,

weather will be good, high around 85, partly cloudy, the waterfront provides lots of interest recreationally, served hourly by Amtrak.

I HOPE there's a big turnout.

[Koinos]

4. Me too.

[one_voice]

5. I can't wait...

I'm a little more than an hour away from there. hmmmm.....

[Raine1967]

6. PLEASE take pictures!

I really wish I was able to be there!

[askew]

7. Sign of problems?

O'Malley's campaign is robocalling Dems in Baltimore to get them to come out to his Saturday rally. I hope that isn't a sign of turnout issues. There are also going to be protest outside of the rally due to Freddie Gray's death.

I am huge O'Malley fan but it sure seems like he might have got in too late. But, I am a chronic worrier so I hope I am wrong.

[elleng]

8. NOTHING too late about it AT ALL.

'Problem' more likely about the protest, imo.

[askew]

9. I hope that is it.

He's got a top-notch campaign staff so I can't imagine that they'd launch this bid without making sure he had enough support in Baltimore. But, robocalls aren't a sign of confidence IMO.

Oh, well. We'll see. Only 2 more days.

[elleng]

10. I don't know enough about the 'protest' crap, what's happening on the ground.

Does give me concern.

Recent Baltimore issues not foreseeable, notwithstanding top-notch campaign staff which I expect was and is prepared to deal with Gov. O'Malley's record in Baltimore. (Unfortunately recent events play into hands of tptb, Dem and Repug.)

[Koinos]

11. Just My Opinion

I believe that O'Malley should be launching his campaign as a former governor of Maryland, not as a former mayor of Baltimore. I know he loves Baltimore, but it has always been a troubled city way beyond any single person's ability to fix. Annapolis would have been a better venue. I am not looking forward to angry protestors waving their fists and signs at us when we enter or exit the gates. I emailed to O'Malley's contact address about our concerns, but I have received no response. I appreciate his courage, but I think the Baltimore albatross will dog him every step of the way. The whole situation is not his fault, since any Baltimore mayor has an impossible job. If you arrest too many people, crime goes down; but you step on toes. If you arrest too few people (as is happening now, due to police inertia), crime goes up; and people are afraid to walk the streets. I believe that O'Malley's tenure as mayor was a kind of baptism by fire, and it has made him a resourceful and strong executive. No other candidate in the race could take on what he took on and have as much success as he had. I intend no criticism of the other candidates. Their expertise in other matters is unquestionable. But being mayor of Baltimore is something else again. Pope Francis couldn't do it. O'Malley did do it.

[elleng]

12. You make good points, Koinos.

Thanks

[askew]

13. He's too tied to Baltimore to hold his rally anywhere else.

He's launched every campaign in Baltimore and that is where he moved back to after he left the Governor's office. If he held it in Anapolis, he would get crucified for it. I think he deals with it head on and puts it behind him.

I don't think there will be a huge protest. I am worried that the rally itself will have a much smaller turnout than Bernie's which would be a big problem since Burlington is so much smaller.

As for his time as Baltimore Mayor, he was widely praised for the improvements made under his tenure. The O'Malley campaign should really dig up and circulate some of the press he got back then for his great work as Mayor.

[Raine1967]

14. here is some information via the Baltimore Sun:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/blog/bal-group-plans-to-protest-omalley-announcement-20150528-story.html

The Baltimore Sun has some more on the person (people?) organizing the protest.

"I'm doing it because O'Malley didn't do nothing for Baltimore," said Duane Davis of Baltimore Bloc, a group that was involved in protests following Gray's death. "He created a prison system in Maryland. That's his legacy."

Davis has a colorful history in Maryland and elsewhere, and has been a longtime critic of O'Malley. He was charged in 2011 for leaving a toilet rigged with electronic devices outside a former courthouse in Towson (police thought it was a bomb). That same year he sued O'Malley, but his case was quickly dismissed.

Election records show Davis filed as a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in 2014 but was later disqualified.

Davis declined to say how many protesters he expects to attend on Saturday. The group plans to march from Federal Hill, where O'Malley will make his announcement, to City Hall. Protesters will then feed the homeless at a shelter, he said.

[elleng]

15. Thanks, Raine. More from the article:

'O'Malley has noted the city's sharp decline in violent crime under his tenure as mayor. His supporters have also pointed out that he was elected three times with strong support from African American communities despite questions over police strategy at the time.'

[Koinos]

16. Safety

The truth is that many African Americans in Baltimore appreciated the fact that O'Malley's policies made the streets safer for them. Those were the folks who reelected O'Malley by a huge margin.

[Koinos]

17. Me Sad...

I'm sad to say I won't be at Federal Hill for the announcement today. I've been helping someone move this week, and this morning I felt too beat up (including back) to make the trip.

He has my 100% support. In my estimation, he is the best all-around candidate in the field. He has all the right positions, and he has the experience and track record to back them up. He has walked the walk. When I look at him, I see a president.