Only one person shows up at O'Malley event

DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley's latest campaign stops in Iowa have been intimate -- due to severe winter weather -- with one event attracting a single person.

At his last event Monday, the audience of one -- a man identified only by his first name, Kenneth -- was the only one to brave the snow to see what O'Malley was all about at a stop in Tama, a city with a population of 2,877.

"So we spent the time with him," O'Malley told MSNBC's Morning Joe on Tuesday. Even after the one-on-one with the Democratic presidential hopeful, Kenneth said he was unsure whether he wanted to caucus for O'Malley. O'Malley said Tuesday that the people of Iowa "want to see the whole campaign play out" before deciding on a candidate.

Local journalist Sarah Beckman was there to capture the exchange between the candidate and the lone caucus-goer.

Kenneth told O'Malley:

"I think you have a great platform to be running, and I think you have a great future here in Iowa ... I wish you well. On paper, if I were to look at just the resumes, you would have the strongest resume in my mind. But then all this other stuff...I think those two other candidates, there are problems with both of them. I don't think Sanders would be easily electable. So don't underestimate the fact that Iowa will turn out differently. I think it will turn out differently than what the polls are showing. Jimmy Carter would not have been president if it weren't for Iowa."

Politico reported New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., had cancelled campaign stops in Iowa on Monday due to severe weather. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called off a "tele-town meeting" with Iowa supporters. O'Malley seemed to be the only candidate on the ground in Iowa through the weekend, while 99 Iowa counties were under National Weather Service storm advisories. O'Malley's campaign told CNN that events would go forward, snow or no snow.

At a stop in Webster City on Monday, O'Malley chatted with a small group of just five supporters. The Des Moines Register reported the discussion focused on O'Malley's leadership style during his time as governor of Maryland.

On Sunday, however, O'Malley spoke to a crowd of more than 100 at the Des Moines Social Club -- just a day before much of the state was expecting 8 inches of snow.

Real Clear Politics shows O'Malley with 5.7 percent support among Democratic voters in Iowa, based on a 30-day average of all polls.