O’Malley’s son tells him 3 in 10 voters have some idea who he is. And that’s quite an improvement.

Democratic presidential hopeful Martin O’Malley, who continues to ride low in the polls, often jokes about his standing while on the campaign trail and during interviews.

The latest example of his self-deprecating humor comes in a new episode of “Chair Chat,” a series of interviews hosted by South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Jaime Harrison that are posted on the party’s Web site.

O’Malley, the former Maryland governor, tells Harrison that his 17-year-old son, William O’Malley, has been helping out his campaign in Iowa, the nation’s first caucus state, and provides regular updates from his perspective from the ground.

“He’s says, ‘Dad, we’ve been making steady progress. When we announced two months ago, only one of every 10 people had any idea who you are. Now three out of 10 people have some idea who you are.’”

O’Malley, turning more serious, tells Harrison that he is “climbing the steep and narrow path,” adding: “I’m absolutely convinced that the people of our country are looking for new leadership and the ability to get things done again as a nation.”

On the trail, O’Malley has also been telling audiences that there’s a history of candidates surging in Iowa during the summer who don’t prevail in the caucuses.

“So you’ll be glad to know we are not surging too early,” he added to laughter during a recent stop in Grundy Center, Iowa. . .

The interviews also include some more serious moments. In O’Malley’s episode, which debuted online Monday, he is asked what went through his head at the liberal Netroots Nation conference in Phoenix last month when his time on stage was interrupted by protesters from Black Lives Matter. The protesters remained to confront Sanders, who appeared at the forum after O’Malley.

“At first, I thought that maybe it was about something I had said,” O’Malley tells Harrison, “and then I quickly realized it was making the very important point that as a nation historically and in present times we tend not to attach as much significance to black lives as white lives in the way we act and react to violent crime or disparities in our criminal justice system. … I hope Bernie Sanders didn’t take it personally either.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/08/17/omalleys-son-tells-him-3-in-10-voters-have-some-idea-who-he-is-and-thats-quite-an-improvement/