2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Marylanders-dont-like-martin-omalley-so-why-would-the-rest-of-america?? [View all]Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)Shouldn't it be the other way around? O'Malley has much more executive experience over a longer period of time. He also can boast a long record of accomplishments. And unlike Bernie who I do love, O'Malley presided over a much more diverse electorate and confronted much more complex challenges than Bernie. This is a not a slight against Bernie, but Vermont is much more politically, racially and ideologically homogenous. It is therefore easier to reach consensus and is perhaps one of the reasons why it is more acceptable for Bernie to self identify as a socialist. On the other hand, however, O'Malley has had to contend with a much more heterogeneous population. And believe it or not, Maryland is not as politically/ideologically liberal or Democratic as people think. We've had Republicans dominate governorships and the state legislature over periods of time. It is not unusual to witness partisan flips, and depending on turnout, Maryland can easily become more of a purple than blue state. More important, however, is that Maryland is not as liberal as people assume.