What People Are Saying about Martin O’Malley's Strong Performance in First Debate
“Looked More Presidential than the Other Candidates Combined”
… “This Was His Moment, and He Rose To It … “All the Hard Work on the Road Paid off in His Answers and in His Closing Statement” ... “Vastly Out-Performed His...Standing in the Polls” … “Really Surprised Me” … “He’s Very Genuine” … “He Scored Some Points”... “Transcenden” … “Made the Most of His Moment” … “Fantastic Job”
CBS News: “Martin O'Malley also survived the night with a solid showing. The former Maryland governor has campaigned hard, and he's barely showing up in the polls. But all the hard work on the road paid off in his answers and in his closing statement. It's not that O'Malley was transcendent, but for a candidate who has had trouble getting attention, he made the most of his moment.” - John Dickerson
Los Angeles Times: “Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley vastly out-performed his humble single-digit standing in the polls.
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“Bob Raker [is] 61, a retired county government worker who lives in nearby Beaverdale and is uncommitted. He was among several voters who said they were impressed by O’Malley, notably his closing statement about rebuilding the nation … “‘I think Martin O’Malley did a very good job,’ said state Rep. John Forbes of Urbandale, who is also undecided. ‘He’s very genuine, I think he comes across as a person really dedicated to making sure the country moves forward and taking care of the middle class.’
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“Jennifer Erwin, a precinct captain for Sanders, said she left the debate with ‘a lot more respect for O’Malley. I wasn’t familiar with his record’ in Maryland, said Erwin, 32, who lives in Windsor Heights.”
Louie Overstreet (Video): “I thought O’Malley really helped himself in the debate...He did a fantastic job...He was very comfortable. He looked more presidential than the other candidates combined to be honest with you. My heart is with Sanders, my head is with Clinton, but I have to give O’Malley props. I think he's going to help himself.”
Jeff Zeleney (Video): “I think Martin O’Malley had a good performance. And I think he was trying to use this as a good performance to the introduce himself to the biggest audience he's had. Now, I hate to keep going back to 2007, that campaign. By this point, there had been so many debates. This is the first one here. He was just introducing himself. I think Martin O’Malley actually did pretty well. He did himself a lot of good”
Mo Elleithee (Video): “Martin O'Malley did himself some good... I think a lot of people saw him last night, saw him as a serious person, as a serious candidate and they'll give him a second look.”
Maryland Reporter: “He physically looked the most like a President, namely JFK, and also sounded like him, minus the Massachusetts accent. His good self-introduction presented well his 14 years of executive experience of getting things done, and was also Reaganesque in citing that wages haven't improved in the last 12 years, ala ‘Are you better off now than you were four years ago?’ in 1980. Attacked on his past positions, he defended them all very well and to the point, backing down on none of them...His closing statement was both classy and modest, with his breakout line being, ‘We need to speak to the goodness in our country,’ ala RFK in 1968. This was his moment, and he rose to it.”
Politico: “Democratic megadonor Tom Steyer, a hedge fund billionaire and environmentalist, said he was impressed with Hillary Clinton's debate performance, but that Martin O'Malley went furthest in articulating the specifics of his climate plan.”
USA Today: “Martin O’Malley may have attracted some attention … ‘Martin O’Malley held his own up there … he made a name for himself. He spoke about his experience compared to the other candidates, and a lot of his policies are more progressive than the rest of the democratic field.’ — Brian Voss.”
Boston Globe: “[O’Malley’s] best moment came when he challenged Clinton on her Wall Street reform proposal that doesn’t include reinstating the Glass-Steagall Act that separated commercial banking from riskier activities undertaken by investment banks.
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“O’Malley cited his executive experience, pointing to his push to raise the minimum wage, promote gay marriage, and advance gun safety legislation.”
Ames Tribune: “ISU junior Jordan Hildebrand felt that O’Malley held his own on the stage Tuesday night. ‘O’Malley has done a great job of coming out of nowhere and actually making an impact,’ Hildebrand said. ‘He’s been very clear and concise about what he is saying, and he’s making himself a presence over there.’”
Washington Examiner: “O'Malley ... probably helped himself in the debate nationwide, there was definitely more pro-O'Malley feeling in the Stamp Student Union than in other gatherings across the country. Before the debate, as students came in, the organizers gave each a clear plastic bead. The idea was that after the debate, there would be a jar for each candidate, and people would put their beads in the jar of the candidate they thought won the debate. Not everybody voted, but when it was all over, Bernie was the big winner, with 139 votes. O'Malley came in second with 67 votes.”
Post Script: “O’Malley possessed considerable gutsiness, going in repeatedly on Bernie Sanders’ weak gun control record; later, when asked about the political enemy he was most proud to have made, O’Malley looked straight at the camera and said, pausing for emphasis between words, “the National Rifle Association,” earning loud applause and creating one of my favorite moments of the debate. When discussing foreign policy, O’Malley made one of the most informed points of the discussion, noting that while Presidents should be careful about the use of military force, it’s also a mistake to take the option off the table in negotiations–a point not often appreciated outside the foreign policy community. On other issues, he was quieter and less charismatic: when discussing investment banking reform, he repeatedly mentioned reinstating the Glass-Steagal Act, a now-lapsed, Depression-era law that separated savings and investment banks.”
McClatchy: “He presented himself as a progressive with a record of getting things done as Maryland governor and Baltimore mayor as he introduced himself to potential voters in his largest audience to date in the campaign.”
Slate: “The boldest proposal (on climate change) came from former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who said his first action if elected president would be to steer the country on a path toward 100 percent renewable energy by 2050.”
Huffington Post: “Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley made a veiled but sharp critique Tuesday of Hillary Clinton's vote to support the Iraq War.”
Bloomberg: “O'Malley, who enacted gun control as governor of Maryland, also attacked Sanders over his gun record.”
Breitbart: “Martin O’Malley went directly after the NRA and pressed massive gun controls … he referenced the gun control he was able to pass while Governor of Maryland in an effort to show he was not talking about what he could do but what he did do.”
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence: New editorial by Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, who Martin O'Malley just mentioned at the Democratic presidential debate. Sandy and Lonnie were victimized by the Gun Industry Immunity law and ordered to pay more than $200,000 in legal fees to a company that sold ammunition to Aurora mass shooter James Holmes, who killed their daughter Jessica.
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence: At the Democratic debate tonight, it was great to see Hillary Clinton and Martin O'Malley cite the National Rifle Association as the enemy that they are most proud of.
MSNBC: “He had championed a fairly consistent, pro-immigrant stance throughout his two terms as governor of Maryland. It comes in contrast with Clinton, who has evolved over the years.”
CJ Robinson @CJMix1051: The biggest winner last night in the #DemDebate was @MartinOMalley. Everyone knew Hillary and Bernie. Now Martin has the spotlight.
Jana Katsuyama@JanaKTVU: Watched debate w/100 California Democrats. Many undecided voters said O'Malley--a surprise. Ktvu.com pic.twitter.com/nwBHVUK8pG
trevor cornwell @trevorcornwell: “I think it’s a three-person race now...Hillary and Sanders and @MartinOMalley....” @RevJJackson nationalreview.com/corner/425547/… #DemDebate
Ben Jacobs @Bencjacobs: Winners tonight: Clinton, Sanders, O'Malley. Loser: Biden. Punchlines: Webb, Chafee.
Abhi Madhugiri @abhisecho: @MartinOMalley clear winner in today's #DemocraticDebate Pragmatic, concise, not arrogant. Met him a few times when I lived in MD and DC
