Kathie Obradovich

kobradov@dmreg.com

The closing argument for presidential candidates isn’t just about appealing to voters’ brains on issues — it’s also about reaching their emotions.

Monday’s Democratic presidential town hall offered the last opportunity before the caucuses for the candidates to not only tout their agendas but to sell themselves as likeable human beings. The last chance while speaking from the same stage on national TV, anyway.

All three candidates struck a personal note from their first moments on stage.

Hillary Clinton, facing poll after poll that has questioned her likability and trustworthiness, came on stage then kissed the moderator, Chris Cuomo of CNN, on the cheek. That doesn’t happen too often in presidential forums.

Clinton, Sanders square off on vision, experience

Clinton also joked with a young man who was “leaning” toward Bernie Sanders that she would help him up. She showed a bit — just a bit — of humility by admitting she could have acknowledged sooner that using a private email server wasn’t the best choice, and that some of her now-public emails from her time as secretary of state were a little embarrassing.

Bernie Sanders, known for a cranky demeanor and an aversion to talking about his personal life, sat down on stage and immediately mentioned his wife, Jane. “My wife told me to button my coat but I’m getting too fat,” he said.

He talked about his athletic prowess, humble-bragging that his elementary school basketball team won the borough championship. “Hardly worth mentioning, but we did,” he said. He also seemed to be tightly constraining his emotions when he talked about his parents, saying they never could have believed it was possible that he could run for president.

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Martin O’Malley, in perhaps his best performance of all the nationally televised candidate events, got the audience cheering just by standing up and taking off his jacket. This format, a town hall with most of the questions from the audience at Drake University, played to his strengths as an engaging speaker with strong empathy for his audience.

O’Malley didn’t have a likeability problem — his problem is that voters aren’t convinced his electability. His best moment of this forum was when he was asked what his supporters should do if the O’Malley campaign isn’t viable in every caucus precinct. “My message to O’Malley supporters across the state is this: Hold strong at your caucus,” he said.

O’Malley’s performance will persuade his supporters to do just that, but the fact remains that Clinton and Sanders are battling for the caucus win. Beyond the likability factor, both leading candidates did well at contrasting their strengths and positions against the other without resorting to cheap shots or personal attacks.

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Both also had some challenges. Sanders, defending his single-payer health care plan, uttered a made-for-attack-ad statement: “We will raise taxes. Yes, we will.” He went on to say his tax increases will be more than offset by savings on health insurance premiums, but that part won’t make some GOP TV ad.

Clinton, asked why young voters don’t seem enthusiastic about her candidacy, started well by expressing her pleasure that young voters were getting involved. Then, she blamed Republican attacks and suggested new voters can’t see through them.

This campaign has been and will continue to be largely about issues and experience. But voters looking for some signs of humanity from these candidates saw glimmers from both of the poll leaders and a shining beacon from the underdog.