A glimpse of humanity on the campaign trail

There are moments big and small to capture when covering the presidential campaign. All the candidates enroll family to help the campaign effort – from grandkids on up.

It was New Year's Day, and Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware was campaigning hard in Iowa, hoping for a "top tier" finish. In a packed room in Indianola, he introduced a long list of Bidens and finally came to his mother, Catherine.

To hearty applause, she rose to her feet and came to her senator son's side. He tenderly held her hand, and she glanced up at him with a sweet look of pride and adoration – and maybe a hint of self-consciousness.

I find these brief glimpses at humanity on the campaign trail a refreshing change from the massive, stage-managed rallies that have become so prevalent. Senator Biden campaigned with passion and integrity, although in the end, he couldn't hang on past Iowa. But I'm pretty sure his mother is still really proud of him.