In the 229 years of this Republic’s existence, no one has successfully made the 50-mile trek from the Annapolis Governor’s Mansion to the White House. I don’t know how many have even tried. Maryland is too small to be a big state, and too liberal to be a contended state. It would take a peculiar set of circumstances to upend that tradition.

Nevertheless, Martin O’Malley believes he is the man to do it. Never mind that even liberal Maryland convincingly rejected O’Malley’s legacy by rejecting his hand-picked successor in favor a a Republican businessman. Like Obama, O’Malley’s success owes more to a TV-ready personality and a friendly media than actual sucess at governing. If O’Malley can connect with Dem primary voters, his failure as a governor may not matter.

I don’t know how large that “if” is. If Democrats are truly looking to rejuvenate their party with new blood, and are unable to draft Elizabeth Warren, then O’Malley might find himself at least a slot on the podium. But I don’t know the minds of Democrat primary voters, so I can’t tell. I can only say that if O’Malley makes any kind of splash at all, it will be a sign of just how weak a candidate Clinton really is.