Warren's interactions with candidates who have dropped out, including John Delaney

[BeyondGeography]

...”With everyone who's dropped out that I've spoken with — which I think is close to 100 percent of them — it's been in part to thank them for running and to say, as only another candidate can, I know it's hard," she added.

On the campaign trail, Warren goes out of her way to mention incorporating the signature policy issues of "Cory" (Booker) or "Julián" (Castro). It's a nod to the people she sees less often these days, but it's also a tactic to bolster her pitch that she can build coalitions from the constituencies of the candidates who've dropped out while also drawing a subtle contrast with front-runner Bernie Sanders' more strident brand of progressivism.

Sanders says he has little tolerance for what he sees as frivolous pleasantries. "If you have your birthday, I'm not going to call you up to congratulate you," he told The New York Times editorial board.

And while it's common for candidates to reach out to opponents who drop out and offer gracious platitudes, Warren's conversations with some former candidates have gone deeper.

Former Rep. John Delaney of Maryland sparred frequently with Warren over health care before he dropped out days before the Iowa caucuses. One debate back-and-forth between the two even got so tense that Delaney's "cause of death" on Wikipedia was changed to "Senator Elizabeth Warren." Still, when he dropped out, his phone was ringing — from everyone, but memorably from Warren.

"Everyone was very nice. It was just that the call with her was quite lengthy and quite in-depth," he said. "That demonstrated to me that she has a trait that you don't always find in politicians, which is that she's not entirely self-absorbed. She actually listens."

More at https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/loneliness-elizabeth-warren-i-feel-i-m-living-movie-n1142181