Jimmy Carter was a viable candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1976 because he knew how to campaign in Iowa.
Carter's strategy was to meet as many people as possible and build a personal connection with them in order to win over their support.
Carter was successful in doing this, and he was eventually elected president in 1980.
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.