Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley believes his drop in the polls for the Democratic nomination for president — from 3% to 1% — is directly related to the lack of debates and his ability to communicate his message to a hue amount of people.

“You’ve been struggling some in the polls. Do you think that is, in part, because there haven’t been Democratic debates yet?” MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell asked him yesterday.

He responded, “I think that’s a big part of it. I’ve said this very clearly, I believe this is party malpractice for the Republicans to have debate after debate, present their ideas and their candidates to 24 million Americans and for the Democratic Party to remain silent and to limit debates.

“I think that’s a huge mistake,” he added.

A few days ago, DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz was heckled during an appearance. Real Clear Politics reports:

Following weeks of controversy surrounding the Democratic National Committee’s decision only to schedule 6 presidential debates this year, many supporters of Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley said that fewer debates helps Hillary Clinton.

“We want debates,” chanted Democrats wearing pro-Sanders shirts at the New Hampshire Democratic Party convention this weekend.

“My friends,” Party leader Debbie Wasserman Schultz begged. “What’s more important, drawing a contrast with Republicans or arguing about debates?”

O’Malley and his campaign have been particularly aggressive at demanding more debates.

Clinton’s rival appeared on MSNBC in August and declared the DNC’s actions to limit debates to be “undemocratic.”

“There are people throughout Iowa and New Hampshire who are outraged that the Democratic Party is trying to act in such an undemocratic way. So I think you will see more debates. I’m planning to go to as many debates as I possibly can.”

He added, “What have we come to as a party that we are so poor that we can’t afford to have more than one debate in Iowa and one debate in New Hampshire before the primary.

“It’s outrageous and people in our own party aren’t going to stand for this sort of meddling and limiting of debate that the DNC is trying to engage in.

“I think most in the DNC think this is a really bad idea.”