In Iowa, a candidate can spend months building up seeing and working his or her way around the cost of state. It's not going to be the case in South Carolina. The risk here is that this changed schedule might limit the type of candidate who has a serious chance of winning the Democratic nomination. But I wouldn't count on that happening.
For the past 50 years, the race to become the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee has been shaped by the where the contest begins: Iowa.
But that process could soon be overhauled. In a coming meeting of the Democratic National Committee, South Carolina — a state that is more representative of the party and, possibly, of the country — could take over the key role of going first.
Guest: Adam Nagourney, a West Coast cultural affairs correspondent for The New York Times.
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