DES MOINES, Iowa — Stuck far behind Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, Martin O’Malley needs a breakout moment in the party’s first debate to catch up to the front-runners.

And he knows it.

“This will really be the first time that nationally voters see that there’s more than one alternative to this year’s inevitable front-runner, Secretary Clinton,” O’Malley said.

“It’s a very, very important opportunity for me to not only present my vision for where the country should head, but also 15 years of executive experience, actually accomplishing the progressive things some of the other candidates can only talk about,” he said.

The former governor of Maryland and mayor of Baltimore got into the race at the end of May, after telegraphing for some time his plans to seek the White House in 2016. The entries of the two others who will be onstage Tuesday night in Las Vegas, former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb and former Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee, were surprises to most.

But all three have one thing in common – an inability so far to generate any of the enthusiasm among voters that has pushed Sanders into and kept Clinton at the top of the field. All three poll in low single digits in early preference surveys, well below even Vice President Joe Biden, who has yet to say if he’ll make a late entry into the race.

Advertisement

O’Malley has been openly critical of the Democratic National Committee and the decision to hold six primary debates, with four scheduled in early primary states before the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 1. He has mounted a push for the party to expand the number, even encouraging protests in front of Democratic Party headquarters.

The party hasn’t budged, but O’Malley is undaunted. He has campaigned aggressively in Iowa and New Hampshire, far more than Webb or Chafee. He is critical of Clinton for her recent shifts on policy issues, among them her opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, which he calls a “reversal.”

O’Malley also touts his executive experience in dealing with issues such as gun control, in which Sanders’ record matches more with his largely rural home state than his place in the race as a liberal firebrand promising political revolution.

“We have to draw contrasts,” O’Malley said. “I think we can do it in a respectful way.”

Expect Chafee, the former senator and governor from Rhode Island, to go after Clinton for her 2002 vote to authorize the war in Iraq. Chafee, at the time a Republican, opposed the invasion and he’s said Clinton’s support for the war, which she has more recently called a “mistake,” is at the center of his decision to run.

Webb, a Vietnam veteran and former Virginia senator, has deep experience on military issues and foreign policy and has been critical of Clinton’s handling of the conflict in Libya.

One unknown is whether any of her challengers will jab at Clinton for her use of a private email account and server while serving as secretary of state. It’s been a constant refrain from the GOP candidates, and the Republican National Committee released a new television ad Monday that focuses on Clinton saying she didn’t send any classified information via the server.

On Monday evening, Clinton spoke at a boisterous labor rally outside Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel, which is in the middle of a union organizing drive. She launched several barbs at Trump.

“Some people say Donald Trump is entertaining, but I don’t think it’s entertaining when someone insults immigrants, when someone insults women,” she said. “If you are going to run for president, you need to represent all people of the United States, including hard-working people.”


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.