Joe Biden still loved by voters even though media have new darlings

Much has been made this week of the New York Times’s strange decision to endorse two candidates for president. In an exceedingly dramatic Sunday night television special, the newspaper concluded its Bachelor-esque rose ceremony with a dual endorsement of Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar. However, it’s unclear if either will actually benefit from the elite paper’s backing. If any 2020 candidate will gain traction from the spectacle, it may actually be Joe Biden after his endearing encounter with Jacquelyn, the newspaper’s security guard, went viral.

The working-class voter gushed over Biden, telling him he’s her “favorite” and that she thinks he is “awesome.” Biden responded in kind. The entire scenario is a reminder that many everyday Americans, especially black voters, still appreciate the former vice president, even if some in the media have new darlings.

Just on Wednesday, CNN’s Sarah Mucha reported that Biden was asked about the encounter in Mason City, Iowa, a small town two hours north of Des Moines. Biden responded, “I think that it’s important, not just for leaders but for everybody, to just treat people with respect. Treat them with dignity.”

Biden’s propensity for big-hearted human gestures isn’t limited to elevator encounters in New York City. In the past few years as a Democratic politician and alumnus of the Obama administration, I’ve heard countless stories from across the nation of times Biden offered a kind word, a sincere note, or a simple act of generosity during times of need.

In my hometown of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a young woman named Megan recently recounted to me how after her father had died of a similar form of brain cancer that took the life of Biden’s son, her grandmother wrote to the vice president to tell him of her son’s death. Biden immediately responded with a letter of his own, offering his prayers to the grieving mother. Megan said her grandmother never forgot it.

Dr. Robert Leonard had a similar experience earlier this month. The radio host and medical doctor in rural Iowa had just lost his dad over the holidays when he discovered a condolence card in the mail from Joe Biden.

Biden’s compassion for everyday Americans stands in stark contrast to the attitude of some of his rivals. For example, during the same New York Times television special, there was a peculiar moment when Sen. Bernie Sanders was asked what his biggest weakness was.

Here’s the Vermont Independent’s answer:

What Bernie dismisses as “bullshit,” many see as the compassion that’s crucial to being an effective politician.

As Greek philosophers long ago noted, no one will accept the wisdom of our arguments if they first don’t experience our character and particular care for them. In short, voters cannot trust that you’ll love the invisible many around the nation if you can’t love the single, visible person in front of you.

The politics of personal gesture is a powerful force in American politics. And in fairness, Sanders’s supporters will rightly note that the media sometimes exaggerate the senator’s curmudgeonly caricature and ignore his displays of personal affection with voters.

But here’s what no one can dispute: The pathway to the nomination is going to force every candidate to build close relationships with voters of many different stripes. And from the looks of it, Sanders has still got room to grow if he’s going to become the Democratic Party’s nominee.

Christopher Hale (@chrisjollyhale) is a Democratic politician from Tennessee. He is an alumnus of President Obama’s White House and reelection campaign, where he helped lead national faith outreach.