Moderators: Get personal

I hope a moderator of the Democratic presidential debate to be cohosted by MSNBC and The Washington Post Wednesday night asks a personal question.

Media commentators and Twitter users jeered CNN’s Anderson Cooper for inviting the candidates at the end of the Oct. 15 debate to share a “friendship that you’ve had that would surprise us.”

In this era of polarized politics, I thought it was encouraging to hear White House hopefuls say they reached out to people beyond their tribe.

Eight of the 12 Democrats named prominent Republicans. Three of the eight spoke warmly of the late John McCain.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota recalled that on global trips with him, the Arizona senator made sure she could question representatives of other countries.

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said he and McCain worked together on legislation that contained $5 billion more for the Veterans Administration.

Former Vice President Joe Biden said he and McCain became close friends after getting to know each other in the Navy.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii said she and former Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina became friends even though they disagree strongly on political issues.

Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke said that after meeting Rep. Will Hurd, the only black Republican in the House, the two Texans drove together from San Antonio to Washington.

Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said he enjoys dining with Republican Sen. Ted Cruz even though “I’m a vegan, and he’s a meateating Texan.”

Sen. Kamala Harris of California said she and Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky joined forces on a bill to reform the bail system.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said Republican Charles Fried, former U.S. solicitor general, helped her land a visiting professorship at Harvard Law School.

Four candidates said they are friends with ordinary folks different from them:

Tom Steyer, former hedge fund investor, named a woman who is fighting pollution in her South Carolina community.

Andrew Yang, former tech executive, said his special friend is a trucker who supported President Donald Trump before joining Yang’s campaign.

Julian Castro, former housing secretary, said he likes to be with people different from him because they have “a lot to teach me.”

Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Ind., said his friends in the military were “radically different” from him but “we learned to trust each other with our lives.”

Ten of these candidates met polling and donor requirements for the debate in Atlanta at 9 p.m. Wednesday: Biden, Booker, Buttigieg, Gabbard, Harris, Klobuchar, Sanders, Steyer, Warren and Yang.

What would be a good personal question to ask this time? How about, “What is your biggest weakness?”