I have to admit I’m a selective reader of The Nation. I don’t miss anything Ari Berman writes, and I tend to check out The Nation when I sense there might be a rift among otherwise like-minded left-progressives, or there’s an investigative series of interest. So I’ve only been dimly aware there was sort of an ABC (Anybody But Clinton) drumbeat under way at the venerable magazine, with William Grieder’s endorsement of Jim Webb last fall getting some attention.
Now comes Nation editor Katrina vanden Heuvel with a WaPo column that in some respects is similar to Joan Walsh’s interview with Martin O’Malley last week: a lefty vetting of the technocratic (and one-time self-conscious “centrist”) former governor of Maryland to see if he’s suitably progressive to at least put the right kind of pressure on Hillary. But vanden Heuvel goes another step by flatly predicting O’Malley will run, and isn’t just placing himself at a Failsafe point in case HRC abruptly self-destructs or decides to shock the world by demurring.
If O’Malley does plan to run come hell or high Hillary, it’s a bit surprising he didn’t get his act together for some kind of announcement (maybe an exploratory committee) today. As you may know, he’s long been a regular performer in an Irish music band called O’Malley’s March. I’m sure “Hail to the Chief” could be added to their repertoire.
