FORT MADISON, Iowa Carol Foss said she hadnt made up her mind which Democrat she liked best when she arrived at a Joe Biden campaign event here on Friday.
Biden made a strong impression, both during his speech and after.
He gave me a kiss on the cheek and Ill never wash that cheek again, Foss said, adding with a laugh that the moment made her feel really nice and warm and fuzzy.
Bidens penchant for physically touching people in close encounters has been controversial. Former Nevada state Assemblywoman Lucy Flores, for instance, wrote last year the former vice president made her feel uneasy, gross, and confused when he rubbed her shoulders and kissed her head in 2014.
In a video response , Biden tried to explain that in his long political career, he has always shaken hands and touched people, but he acknowledged that social norms are changing and he would be more mindful of peoples space.
Bidens campaign events, however, are designed for touching. At small gatherings in Ottumwa, Fort Madison and Mount Pleasant over the past two days, Biden has given a 30-minute stump speech followed by at least as many minutes of hands-on greeting time. Attendees, who tend to be older, line up for handshakes, hugs, selfies, kisses and the occasional poke in the chest.
And they seem to love it. Three people who said they were previously undecided told HuffPost they became Biden supporters. One woman wept as Biden used her phone to talk to her convalescent son back home.
Following his speech in Fort Madison, Foss, an 84-year-old former travel agent, said she told Biden that she would pray for him. He responded by clasping her hands and showing her how he prays on his fingers. Then he kissed her on the cheek.
Afterward, Foss said shed support Biden on Monday in the Iowa caucuses, the crucial first event of the up-for-grabs Democratic presidential nomination. She appreciates his experience in the White House and on the world stage.
Hes just a very down-to-earth man and hes had some problems in his own life, so he has a lot of empathy for people, Foss said. (She denied that the kiss itself sealed the deal.)