His record is excellent and full of actual accomplishments. One after another over and extended period. Not just speaking to progress, but accomplishing things that make progress a reality.

as it's not good for my (or OUR!) reputation!

and additionally apropos due to MO'M's heritage!

for some people to admit that O'Malley really accomplished all this stuff and MORE?

This group alone has posted hundreds of O'Malley's progressive achievements and awards (from the NEA and many others) for his conduct as mayor and governor. Yet some on GD act as if he is a centrist or "moderate" who only pretends to be or talks like a progressive. Some simply choose to ignore factual information and rely instead on a TV fictional account of a fictional mayor. Or they retrieve talking points cooked up by Ehrlich or Hogan. Some even claim he is working for Hillary.

O'Malley is a candidate committed to progressive changes in America -- many of which he already brought about in the state of Maryland. He has a record as a fighter for progressive values. And he was there today for the celebration:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251414952

I am confident that, when and if the smoke clears, O'Malley will be standing there, recognized for who he really is. Not a god. Just a human being. Made mistakes, but learned from them. Has a resume as governor that ought to shame Walker and Jindal. When character is good, all else follows.

so find it uncomfortable to recognize facts that might interfere.

I try to be open-minded and see the benefits of each candidate, but O'Malley keeps impressing me, surprising me. Even when he disappoints me in some way, he usually comes right back with something amazing. He is certainly more complicated and political than he seems sometimes, but i think there is a good heart down there, along with confidence and humility. Yet, he is a sort of stealth candidate. He isn't a celebrity, hasn't appeared on TV as much as the others, and doesn't get noticed. I really believe that he will get the biggest boosts in the debates. He will look rational, pragmatic, fact-driven, moral, reflective, and humble. People will like him.

But the resume speaks for itself -- volumes. He had a lot of help. Maryland ought to be proud of its legislators. Sometimes they led the way. Sometimes he led the way. But they got it done together. A lot.

Without facts, no amount of theory or pie-in-the-sky speculating will get things done. But humans sometimes prefer illusions. Both theories and illusions are spun by imagination.

Ideology is appealing. Pragmatism appears dull, but shows us the way.

Maybe that's why O'Malley looks dull to some people. They don't find pragmatism "exciting." I do, because it works.

O'Malley's career is full of actions brought to successful conclusions.

Maybe he is too much the adult for this particular presidential campaign.

Lots of yelling and screaming and not too much reasoning going on.

Just my opinion.

ETA: O'Malley himself said that we have to get beyond ideology of "left" and "right." What matters is problem-solving. We have to be careful not to let progressive thought become a religion with doctrines and loyalty tests. Life is too messy for that. I think of how messy Baltimore was for O'Malley.

Once upon a time liberal was a bad word… I will take him any day of the week.

He has the legislation to back it all up.

And I don't care who called him that, I want to know, what makes him less than a liberal?

Because , ya know, he's a liberal. He's a damn sold liberal Democrat. He's up there with Wellstone, Feingold and pretty much every member of the progress caucus.

I am not joking. Drones are a good example. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/blog/bal-omalley-calls-for-discussion-on-drone-use-following-hostage-deaths-20150423-story.html

In the best sense of the word. I'm impressed with O'Malley's accomplishments.