Democrats showcase all 5 candidates in their field

CEDAR RAPIDS, Ia. – Friday night's big Democratic party fundraising dinner was considered a bellwether for where the early energy might go in the presidential race in Iowa.

Hillary Clinton may have given the most impressive speech, but Bernie Sanders, despite a clunkier presentation, also generated big passion, dinner guests told The Des Moines Register after the 2015 Iowa Democratic Party Hall of Fame Celebration. And Martin O'Malley got almost as many pumped-up rounds of applause and standing ovations, surprising some in the audience with his performance, they said.

The dinner at the Cedar Rapids convention center marked the first time all five Democratic candidates — Clinton, a former U.S. secretary of state; Sanders, an independent U.S. senator from Vermont: O'Malley, a former governor of Maryland; former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee; and former Virginia U.S. Sen. Jim Webb — shared a stage, offering themselves up for a side-by-side comparison by Iowans, who are the first to vote in the president-picking contest.

Full coverage by candidate, more: From the Iowa Democratic Party Hall of Fame Dinner

One noteworthy absence was Vice President Joe Biden, who is mourning the recent death of his elder son and still mulling whether to run for president. He was last in Iowa in October 2014.

Clinton, speaking with a Teleprompter, took aim at Republican rivals, vowing that she's "never going to let the Republicans rip away the progress we have made."

The GOP answer is always the same, she said. "Cut taxes for the super wealthy. Let big corporations write their own rules. That's it."

Clinton got some of the heartiest laughs of the night from the audience of 1,321, including when she said the country has been hearing a lot lately from "the new Republican frontrunner, Donald Trump — finally a candidate whose hair gets more attention than mine."

"But," she added, "there is nothing funny about the hate he is spewing toward immigrants and their families."

And Clinton got one of the most animated responses when she criticized Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republican, for slashing spending agreed to by the Legislature for mental health care and education.

"Tonight I'm adding my voice to yours," she said, her voice rising and her face grim. "Governor Branstad, put down your veto pen."

Some common themes in the speeches: raises for workers, fighting powerful wealthy special interests, gay rights, women's rights, immigration reform and spending for public infrastructure.

The evening represented a chance for the four underdogs in the race to gain an edge on Clinton, the strong frontrunner in polling in Iowa.

"I want all 1,200 people, including Hillary Clinton's supporters, to come out and put on my (campaign) pins," Sanders said in an interview with Bloomberg Politics before the dinner.

He told the audience that economic inequality is the great moral, economic and political issue of our time. "The greed of the billionaire class has got to end," said Sanders, who has been climbing in the polls and attracting audiences far bigger than the former first lady's.

He added: "Nothing will get done unless millions of people loudly proclaim enough is enough."

O'Malley said he's the only candidate with 15 years of executive experience, and he used that time to turn "progressive values into actions."

He touted accomplishments such as driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants, marriage equality and a ban on assault weapons.

"We just didn't talk about it. We actually got it done," he said.

The audience launched to its feet when he called for a "greener, renewable future," and gave him a partial ovation for stating his opposition to "bad trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership."

O'Malley also bashed Branstad and piled on criticism of Trump, but the reaction was more tepid than for Clinton's attack lines.

MORE:

Download Iowa Caucuses app

Candidate tracker

Full Iowa Caucus coverage

Reaction was polite for Chafee, who, on his debut trip to Iowa, kept his remarks to just six minutes. He pitched himself as someone with a reputation for courage and honesty. He applauded President Barack Obama's nuclear deal with Iran and said that with smart diplomacy, "we can avoid these endless wars."

Of the five, Webb elicited the least emotion.

Harvey Ross, 68, who is retired from the information technology industry, said he's still waffling between three — Clinton, Sanders and O'Malley.

"Clinton and O'Malley exceeded expectations," said Ross, who lives in Cedar Rapids. "Bernie's got the most exciting ideas. Hillary has the most solid experience and has proven she can get something done. And O'Malley's got a little of the best of both."

O'Malley backer Mary Burke, a 51-year-old nurse from Lisbon, said she would love to see a woman as president. "I'm even post-feminist I'm so feminist. But I think Governor O'Malley has the moral compass. He isn't an insider. And he doesn't have some of the baggage."

Burke filled half a table with friends, mostly newcomers to political dinners. After the speeches, she said the women thought Sanders and O'Malley were best.

"Bernie is not an exciting speaker, but his words ring," she said.

Cedar Rapids native Luke Emery, 23, said Sanders is his candidate.

"Hillary's history with LGBT — she currently gives support and I'm happy she does, but she hasn't given consistent support. Leadership means consistency," he said.

Emery, who was homeschooled as a youth and attended a conservative church, said gay, bisexual and transgender youths are more likely than other groups to commit suicide or be victims of assault.

Sanders, unlike Clinton, has backed gay rights throughout his whole life, he said.

Republicans will take their turn in the Iowa spotlight Saturday when they audition 10 presidential candidates — Scott Walker, Donald Trump, Rick Santorum, Marco Rubio, Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal, Mike Huckabee, Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz and Ben Carson — during Christian conservative activist Bob Vander Plaats' 8½-hour Family Leadership Summit in Ames.