Carter realized that if he did well in Iowa, the first date in this relatively new nominating process, he could show to the party and to the world that he was a really viable candidate. He also realized that Iowa was a place that you could win by just churning it out. It just kind of happened. Once it happened, it was hard to unhappen.
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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