Please tell me your three top pro-O'Malley reasons why you support his campaign

[Attorney in Texas]

Please don't include any reasons that merely show the shortcoming of any other candidate (e.g., I am not interested in hearing that you support O'Malley because "Sanders is too ___ and Clinton is not ___ enough and Chafee is just plain ___&quot .

Also, I know that anyone inclined to respond likely has more than three reasons why they support O'Malley. I'm not looking for a list of reasons (there is a pinned post and a campaign website which already provide that data); instead, I am looking for a prioritized list of the top three reasons (actually one reason or two reasons are fine, but I'm not looking for any more than three reasons) for why his supporters have chosen him.

Thank you.

[FSogol]

1. My 3 reasons (with explanations)

1. I like his financial reform plan, his education reform plan, and his criminal justice reform plans. They are all very comprehensive yet workable. (If you want the specifics of these plans, they are on his website and can be found in DU's O'Malley group)

2. I like his youthful enthusiasm, hard work ethic, and problem-solving attitude. This makes him the most electable candidate in my opinion.

3. He is not just talk. He has already accomplished many of his plans/ideas in Maryland and it has paid off. Maryland is a top education state, decriminalized marijuana, eliminated the death penalty, raised taxes on the rich, was an early adopter to marriage equality, and one of the few states that does not allow discrimination against transgender citizens. Add in an ethical approach to immigration and pro-environment views and you have the best candidate, imho.

PS. You disclaimer about not bashing other candidates in the O'Malley group is unnecessary. From our SOP: "The Martin O'Malley group serves as a safe haven to discuss and learn about Governor Martin O'Malley. As fellow Democrats, bashing other Democratic candidates is not acceptable. This is paramount to participation in this group." We have over 2K posts and have avoided bashing our party's other candidates.

[Attorney in Texas]

2. Thanks!

[FSogol]

3. Anytime. n/t

[elleng]

4. These:

1. His financial reform PLAN- Get us out of Wall Street/Corporate clutches because they are the #1 reason for our/universal downfall.

2. Climate PLAN, critical to U.S. and global well-being, recognizing the HUGE benefits to job creation and hence our economic well-being of doing so.

3. Underlying the above, his proven ability to tackle difficult problems shown through his years in executive positions in government: He KNOWS HOW TO GOVERN.

Thanks for asking.

E

[Attorney in Texas]

5. Thanks!

[elleng]

7. You're welcome.

[FSogol]

11. +1. Agreed. n/t

[askew]

6. My top 3.

1. Immigration/Refugee Issues - This is clearly an issue he feels passionate about. He was the most pro-immigration Governor during his tenure. He talks about immigrants as New Americans. He speaks of their struggle to come to America with passion and treats them with dignity. I particularly like how he talks about immigration everywhere he goes not just pandering to Latino audiences. When the children of Central America were pouring over our borders seeking safety here, he stood up to the White House and Hillary and said we should not send them back to certain death. It goes against everything we stand for as Americans. And he backed that up with action. He worked with social service groups and religious organizations to take in more child refugees than any other state per capita and put them in family fostercare not warehouses. He also passed the DREAM Act for Maryland, allowed undocumented Americans to get Driver's Licenses, etc.

2. Environment - He worked to turn Maryland into a greener and safer state through pushing through the largest wind farm off the eastern shore, making regulations so tough for fracking that it put a de facto ban on it in Maryland, etc.

3. He has a laundry list of progressive accomplishments that he is proud to run on. He has been a forceful advocate for Obama and his accomplishments.

[FSogol]

10. Great reasons, thanks for posting. n/t

[MH1]

8. Why I currently prefer Martin

(although I will support the nominee in the general, and am not "anti" any of the three in my sig line).

1) His solid executive experience. I think that will really help him in actually getting things done. A specific thing he did both as mayor and governor is the use of data for tracking and managing government service functions as well as environmental statistics for the Chesapeake Bay. (BayStat, CitStat and StateStat)

2) He has the best environmental record and platform of the major candidates. He has items in his plan like "Prioritize modernizing our electric grid, to support localized, renewable energy generation" that show that he REALLY gets certain basic environmental principles. His campaign platform does not look like something ginned up to just "check the box". It seems that he has genuine, adequate knowledge of environmental issues to make good policy decisions.

3) I like his criminal justice reform platform and the way he handled the NRN protest.


An example article that shows both items 1 and 2 : http://grist.org/politics/martin-omalley-long-shot-presidential-hopeful-is-a-real-climate-hawk/

O’Malley is leaving office with a mixed, or at least nuanced, record on fracking. Western Maryland, just south of Pennsylvania, has natural gas deposits that are recoverable by fracking, but they have yet to be exploited. O’Malley imposed a moratorium on fracking in Maryland in 2011. But he’s about to be succeeded by Republican Larry Hogan, an enthusiastic fracking proponent. So after the November election, O’Malley announced that he will unveil regulations this month that will allow fracking under limited circumstances, following the best practices of other states and imposing additional, stricter rules to curb air and water contamination and restrict where drilling can take place.

For some environmentalists, O’Malley’s willingness to allow fracking at all is their one disappointment in his record. “I would prefer that O’Malley would come out in favor of a ban on fracking in Maryland,” says Tidwell. But others say O’Malley is making a shrewd move. With rules in place before Hogan comes in, Hogan may find it more politically difficult to repeal them than he would have to simply not write any himself. “The fact that we have a governor-elect who wants to move forward on fracking means we want to get some protections in place as soon as possible,” Karla Raettig, executive director of the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, told The Washington Post.

I think this approach indicates a grasp of reality and strategic necessity that is essential in a President, particularly when dealing with opposition majorities in Congress, as the next President almost certainly will be for quite some time (due to gerrymandering and Dems laying down in the 2010 state legislative elections.)

[FSogol]

9. Great reasons, thanks for posting. n/t

[Attorney in Texas]

16. Thank you

[Recursion]

12. Climate change, criminal justice reform, and immigration

O'Malley has a feasible plan for modernizing our power distribution system, moving towards renewables, with an emphasis on bio, and incentivizing clean energy industries in rural areas

O'Malley will use the justice department to enforce transparency and accountability on local and state police forces. And in particular, he will tie law enforcement funding to community participation in law enforcement review and governance.

O'Malley will expand deportation deferral to every family that it can be expanded to. In addition, he will grant waivers to the three-year bar on getting a green card provided the immigrant has a citizen or lawful resident who will vouch for him or her.

[FSogol]

13. +1 n/t

[Attorney in Texas]

17. Thanks

[Koinos]

14. Three reasons to the tenth power...

More than three, to be sure:

1. Climate change hawk: Use only renewable sources for electricity by 2050.

2. Gun control.

3. Prosecute and break up big banks.

4 - 1000+: See the O'Malley Group and https://martinomalley.com/.

[Attorney in Texas]

15. Thanks!

[Raine1967]

18. Easy PZ:

He knows how to get things & issues that are important done, the things he wants to get done/change are of great importance to me and how he plans to make them happen.

As to the rest, I am I'm agreement with pretty much everyone else who replied to to you.

being able to work across the aisle is important to me.

[elleng]

19. VERY important, Raine.

I may repost Lawrence's interview with Chaffee yesterday, wherein the former senator mentioned this attribute, accomplishing things with legislatures.

[Raine1967]

20. Oh -- I am going to search for it.

Working across the aisle and getting things done is important.

Starting from a place where O'Malley is is equally important. Progress can only happen when people find areas of agreement, that's when things get better.

[elleng]

21. Here it is:

http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/chafee-on-debate-controversy---war-vote-502620739943

[AuntPatsy]

22. Kicking,