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Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Is it time to get rid of the caucus system entirely?

Some people are asking if it’s time to rethink the Iowa Caucuses after Monday night’s vote counting mess.  Illinois Democratic Senator Dick Durbin said on MSNBC last night: “As we try to make voting easier for people across America, the Iowa…

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By Madeleine Brand • Feb 4, 2020 • 1 min read

Some people are asking if it’s time to rethink the Iowa Caucuses after Monday night’s vote counting mess.

Illinois Democratic Senator Dick Durbin said on MSNBC last night: “As we try to make voting easier for people across America, the Iowa caucus is the most painful situation we currently face for voting. People who work all day, pick up the kids at daycare -- you think they’re headed to the caucus next? Of course not. We have to have a means for people to express themselves that is reliable. Unfortunately the caucus system is not.”

Critics have long argued that it doesn’t make sense for Iowa to go first in the nation because it’s predominantly white, rural, and small -- and that doesn’t represent all American voters.

All the problems last night could provide more fuel for change.

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    Madeleine Brand

    Host, 'Press Play'

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    Sarah Sweeney

    Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

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    Michell Eloy

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    Alexandra Sif Tryggvadottir

    Associate producer

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    Rick Hasen

    professor of law and the director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA

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Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand