Martin O'Malley

Lots of heat and anger in this country. O'Malley had a cooler head, but he didn't prevail. O'Malley talked about the common good, about working together, about respecting the dignity of every human being. All I hear these days is hate.

We are headed for hard times, unless people listen to their "better angels." Our problems are not with billionaires or terrorists. Our problems are with ourselves. We lack humanity, compassion, and love. We are supposed to be about unity within diversity -- e pluribus unum.

The more I listen to ALL of the other candidates, I know why I liked O'Malley. He was the adult in the room. He was the sane one in the asylum. He didn't count poll results or discount classes of voters. For him, all people counted, even Republicans.

But he was more anonymous than we are on this board. He didn't wear a mask, but he was invisible all the same. Truth hides, even though it is out in the open, because people need eyes to see it.

People don't want a good human being to lead them. They want a messiah to save them from their "enemies." They want everything all at once. They want magical solutions and magical powers. Noble ideals require hard work and a whole lot of time.

We need to work together, care about each other, find common ground. Or it is all over. O'Malley knows that.