“I’ve always liked Hillary, but it’s early enough that I could still be swayed,” said Carl Keeton, 58, a meatpacker from Ottumwa who was among the 370 delegates who heard O’Malley at a party convention on Saturday and rewarded his 25-minute speech with a standing ovation. “He seems young and energetic, and it’s good to have a choice.”
Others went further, saying they were inspired by an address in which O’Malley urged the activists to work to recapture “the America that we carry in our hearts” and touted his accomplishments as mayor of Baltimore and governor of Maryland.
“He can reach people on an emotional level, but he’s also accomplished things,” said Sarah Stutler, 49, a delegate who lives in Marion and, like most Democrats O’Malley encountered over the weekend, heard him speak for the first time. Accompanied by his 16-year-old son William, he seemed as relaxed and sociable as he is in Maryland, happily posing for pictures and trading stories with people who approached him at events.
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