Maryland Voter Guide: 10 Reasons to Vote for Martin O'Malley

O'Malley is a Guy You'd Want to Have a Beer With. I'm not sure why it's so important to voters that their officials be the kind of fellas you can have a beer with, but operating on the theory that the collective wisdom of the voters is worth paying attention to, I decided to test the theory. That's right. Last year, before election season was upon us, I had a beer with Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley at the Carver Community Center in Towson. We both drank Guinness. He told me a story about why Maryland is really called "the Old Line State." His love of storytelling was second only to his graciousness, and a good time was had by all. Oh sure, when its appropriate, O'Malley loves rhetorical flourishes and uses a Clintonian cadence. But over beers? He's the front-man of a Celtic rock band and a down-to-earth guy who loves to spin a yarn.

O'Malley Picked One Heck of a Running Mate.  If a person can be judged by the company they keep, then Martin O'Malley's reputation rose a little higher when he chose the estimable army aviator, Anthony Brown to be his running mate.  Anthony Brown, a veteran and Harvard graduate, is a rising star by anyone's standards.  Anthony Brown knows what it's like to grow up black in America, and has been an inspiration to urban kids.  Brown knows what it's like to fight for his country, and has inspired soldiers.  He knows what it's like to serve the public, and to bring all his talents to bear as a state legislator for Prince George's County.  Brown is such a talent that a lesser man might have resisted putting him on the ticket for fear of being overshadowed.  But O'Malley and Brown work well together, and make a great team for Maryland.