I have to admit that the campaign of former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has been something of a disappointment. O’Malley was a ferocious political animal and I chronicled his doings for eight dark years at my Maryland politics site. He should have been a tough competitor for the befuddled and elderly Hillary Clinton who seems to be in search of a high-fiber breakfast cereal and a nice nap. As it turns out, his campaign can only aspire to be called incompetent and lackluster.

How bad is his campaign? Check out this photo caption from the Wall Street Journal.

Of course, the Wall Street Journal knows who O’Malley is and the caption is editorializing:

Throughout Thursday afternoon, there was a good deal of discussion about whether a caption writer didn’t know who the former Maryland governor is or whether The Journal was making a mean joke about O’Malley.

In a statement Thursday evening, Paul Gigot, The Journal’s editorial page editor, made clear it was the latter.

“The caption is a joke about Martin O’Malley’s obscurity as a Democratic presidential candidate,” Gigot said. “The photo ran with a column by James Taranto, who sometimes refers to ‘Martin O’Malley, whoever he is.’ Liberals need a better sense of humor.”

But when your campaign has become such a laughingstock that a major news outlet pokes fun at you AND when the people in your party think it is true, you really are no longer a presidential candidate.