No! Really? Do tell:

No Democrat is having a harder time moving away from the tough-on-crime 90s than former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, whose potential presidential campaign has been plagued in the last week by questions over his policing policies as mayor of Baltimore. On Sunday, O’Malley continued to defend his record and said Baltimore would be the setting of his presidential campaign announcement if he decides to run.

The brutal truth of things is this: being tough on crime does indeed work.  If you are tough. Rudy Giuliani could make the streets safer in NYC because he had the grit to see the job done. Martin O’Malley just knew what were the things that one said, and when was the statistically best time to say them.  You simply cannot expect better from a progressive Democratic executive; which is what you get in Martin O’Malley, so that’s convenient, at least.

As to having the Presidential campaign announcement in Baltimore: well, Martin O’Malley doesn’t really have much to lose now, does he? Speaking realistically, the plus of reminding people that at least O’Malley ran a city and a state would be not offset by his tacit reminder to the American voting public that he ran both largely into the ground. Contrariwise, the minus of O’Malley running away from his record would not be mitigated by the plus of Martin O’Malley not having to defend his record; so, all in all, it’s set course for Baltimore, and full speed ahead.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

PS: It’s hysterical that Martin O’Malley is still a better pick for the Democratic nomination than Hillary Clinton would be. And no, I do mean specifically ‘hysterical’ as ‘funny.’ After all, O’Malley getting the nomination wouldn’t panic me.  Just the opposite, really.