O'Malley says he is drawn to the 'tough fight.'

'Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley admits that he must beat expectations in Iowa in order to make his case as a Democratic presidential candidate in New Hampshire.

“My sense is that people are now really zeroing in on the fact that this primary is upon us,” O’Malley told the New Hampshire Union Leader following a speech at the 2016 Politics, Poverty and Presidency Forum.

“As a challenger campaign, we have been stretched thin in the most undemocratic of Democratic primaries, with the fewest debates and debates hidden on Saturdays,” said O’Malley, adding his staff in New Hampshire is doing the legwork.

Some Granite State voters remain undecided and the playing field is still dynamic and fluid, said O’Malley.

He said he is looking forward to a prime time CNN forum on Monday, where voters will have the opportunity to see and hear all three Democratic candidates together on stage.

Following his last debate, O’Malley said the audience in South Carolina wanted to hear more from him.

“I think people are growing weary of the two front runners, and I think people are looking for an alternative, and so that is our shot,” he said. “We have to make our case that there are three people in this race and not just two, and we haven’t been able to do that yet. But, once the voters start voting, they have a way of finding a new leader and lifting that person up.” . .

Betsey Andrews Parker, treasurer for NECAP, urged those in attendance to question the candidates and participate in as many presidential town halls as possible.

Although more families are now receiving health insurance and the country is creating more jobs, O’Malley said the nation still has a long way to go.

“There is a sinking sense in our nation that perhaps we have lost the ability to govern ourselves,” he said, describing some of his 15 strategic goals for America if elected.

O’Malley admits he has a tough fight, but said that leaders and elected officials must make better choices, and have the ability to get things done.

“The American dream is worth saving. Our country is worth saving,” he said. “I offer, you decide. The fate of my candidacy is in your hands … I am genuinely concerned about the fall. I don’t think that Donald Trump is a laughing matter.”

After Iowa, O’Malley said he will trust the intelligence and goodness of New Hampshire citizens to realize that they have a third choice aside from Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.'

http://www.unionleader.com/OMalley-says-he-is-drawn-to-the-tough-fight