8 takeaways from the Iowa Democrats' JJ dinner

3. IT CONFIRMED O’MALLEY’S STILL IN IT.

The former Maryland governor drew a wider swath of dinner guests to their feet for a standing ovation than his two rivals, although their enthusiasm was subdued.

“I'm not willing to totally dismiss O'Malley,” said Yepsen, who attended the JJ dinner. “He seems to be the second choice of a number of people, and I learned a long time ago to keep an eye on unemployed former governors spending lots of time in Iowa. Even if this isn't O'Malley's year, he's young enough to have positioned himself for another run someday.”

O'Malley: Democrats need to find backbone' on gun control

Clinton, a former U.S. secretary of state, currently has 48 percent support with likely Democratic caucusgoers in Iowa. Sanders is at 41 percent. O’Malley is at 2 percent. Seven percent of caucusgoers are uncommitted or not sure.

The saying goes that there are three tickets out of Iowa. (Since the 1972 beginning of the modern era of Iowa's presidential caucuses, no candidate has placed lower than third and gone on to win the nomination. The exception is John McCain, who came in fourth in 2008.) O’Malley’s got one — if he has the finances to stay afloat.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2015/10/25/8-takeaways-iowa-democratic-jefferson-jackson-dinner-sanders-clinton-omalley/74590332/