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Three Leaders' Chosen Ones
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"There was no sense in delaying that endorsement," O'Malley said. "I'm glad I did endorse early."
Another big factor in O'Malley's decision was his relationship with Bill Clinton, who appeared in a television ad in the closing days of O'Malley's 2006 campaign for governor, urging voters to support "my good friend."
O'Malley's relationship with the former president and his wife blossomed in 2000, when O'Malley, then mayor of Baltimore, joined a presidential delegation traveling to Northern Ireland. O'Malley was performing in a Celtic rock band, playing songs that reflected his Irish heritage.
O'Malley became heavily involved in the following years with the Democratic Leadership Council, a centrist group that had served as the incubator for much of Bill Clinton's agenda. And after the 2001 terrorist attacks, O'Malley worked with Hillary Clinton to bolster homeland security. O'Malley carved out a niche on the issue, citing the proximity of Baltimore's port to Washington.
O'Malley was the second governor to support Clinton. The two Democrats addressed reporters and other onlookers at Annapolis's City Dock. Clinton spoke at length, without notes, about O'Malley's tenure as mayor and also praised his early period as governor.
Aides say O'Malley would have campaigned more heavily for Clinton in other states if not for the legislature's special session in November.
Some analysts have wondered whether O'Malley is keeping a lower profile because of predictions that Obama might win the state. "He hasn't been knocking himself out," said Matthew Crenson, a political science professor at Johns Hopkins University.
Others suggest that, if Clinton wins, O'Malley loyalists will still be well-positioned to garner administration appointments and that Clinton will be quick to return O'Malley's calls. Few expect O'Malley to leave his governorship so early in his first term.
"They appreciate the significance of his coming out so early," said Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert).
