Martin O'Malley

'Perhaps the biggest issue with the Clinton campaign (one that Mr. O'Malley and fellow Democratic aspirants Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Sen. James Webb don't face) is a "trust deficit" felt even by many liberals. A recent Washington Post article titled "For Hillary Clinton, a trust deficit to surmount," highlights how even favorable polls indicate a lack of trust.


More than six in 10 voters (62 percent) said that Ms. Clinton has "strong leadership qualities." In that same sample, though, less than four in 10 (38 percent) said she was honest and trustworthy. A majority (54 percent) said she is not honest and trustworthy, including 61 percent of independents.

With Martin O'Malley, however, leadership skills don't translate to a majority of people questioning his honesty. This will be important when compared to Jeb Bush or a future GOP challenger.

Martin O'Malley represents an honest, bold and capable alternative to Hillary Clinton and a worthwhile challenger to Mr. Bush or any other GOP candidate. He isn't a magnet for perpetual scandal, and he isn't beholden to special interests or vapid centrism. These competitive advantages over Clinton will help him defeat any Republican for important battleground states in 2016.'