America's presidential primaries, explained

Why does America's system for picking the president start in Iowa?
Before Americans vote on the next president in November, both major political parties have to settle on a nominee. That process is called the primary, and in 2020 it consists of 64 different contests, held on 22 different days, over several months. And for some reason, it all starts in the midwestern state of Iowa. So how did America's political parties come up with this system? And is there a better way to do it?
Read more from Li on the future of Iowa: www.vox.com/2020/2/3/21046546...
A previous version of this video misidentified the states of Missouri and Arkansas. The error has been corrected.
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[@Vox]

Some of you noticed that one of my Wisconsin cutouts accidentally included Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and that I put the states for Super Tuesday on a Monday! Our bad: Super Tuesday is in fact on a Tuesday, and as far as we know Wisconsin has not actually annexed part of Michigan. Thanks for catching those! -Madeline

[@peterbuiltit5822]

It was cool until ya had to bring race into it

[@twenty-fifth420]

The House of Nonsense Yup, glad to know your name is accurate.

[@ironicdivinemandatestan4262]

I don’t think Yoopers would mind becoming Cheeseheads.

[@isaacleslie7431]

The House of Nonsense no, race is a completely valid concern in regard to ordering primaries. A diverse state that resembles the demographic the primary before is crucial.

[@AlexTyler1267]

Yoopers are enraged once more.

[@ThisIsMyHandle.]

I now understand why I don't understand US elections.

[@eddiew2325]

hehe i just found out why i dont understand electrions in the united states

[@alexisterral773]

I still don't understand that thing

[@kain5637]

@Azeem Siddiqui oh no ;(

[@x.0_o.x]

I just thought if one gets the most votes win?

[@lukethompson1752]

I was your 2000th like!

[@MrJojux]

"Is there a better way to do it?" Whenever this refers to the US electoral, legal or medical system the answer seems to be usually "Yes"

[@DanB-sh3wt]

or education

[@MrJojux]

@@DanB-sh3wt True!

[@ethang420]

Yess sirrrrrr. Louder for the people who don’t wanna listen.

[@dominic.consiglio7470]

Never heard anything more accurate.

[@Jabid21]

It's always a yes cause the most of the systems in United States is designed to serve white, suburban, rich entrepreneurs at the expense of opportunity and rights of minorities, city-dwellers and people of low income.

[@Ea0009]

This reminds me of a saying we have in Ivory Coast: “If I explain politics to you and you understand it then I haven’t explained it right.”

[@sadaf6467]

@BMO It's a country in West Africa, my friend.

[@RJ-xl2cd]

BMO bruh

[@joethemallard5514]

BMO it's usually called Côte d'Ivoire

[@deiansalazar140]

@BMO Racist.

[@idkwhatnametochoose6197]

Ivory Coast is used more actually.

[@gshak33]

Ok that shot of the “Iowa Caucus” sign falling off the podium is too good 😂

[@humpty4205]

Iowa in 1968 said they needed time to calculate results, But still in 2020 they weren't able to give authentic results

[@simplethings3730]

Give them a break, they're still working on the 1968 results😁

[@Chinaxijingping8964]

great point

[@garyermann]

Well, they aren't wrong that they need time to figure out the correct results.

[@mp7950]

What?

[@losttree9790]

OOOOOF (;

[@grey.6825]

So basically, New Hampshire is like, "I go first because I say so"? tf?

[@noah-ij4bz]

grey. 😂😂

[@spiderduckpig]

based

[@HelgaCavoli]

No one cared or questioned it at first... so it stuck.

[@ianherrick3526]

We’re kinda boring. It’s all we’ve got!

[@eddiew2325]

@@ianherrick3526 hehe i just found out NH stands for New Hamster

[@MuhammadRaiyan135]

Like Bernie Sanders said, elect the person that has the most votes

[@mbpaintballa]

then city centers would decide who gets in... so that won't work

[@81OH4Z4RD]

@@mbpaintballa why should a rural voter have more power than an urban voter? Americans who live in citys are still Americans.

[@alexanderchristopher6237]

81OH4Z4RD that statement is true, but the reverse is also true. Why should rural voters be deemed less American by their votes?

[@mbpaintballa]

@@81OH4Z4RD why should people in cities have any say in what happens in rural communities, that's why you elect representatives not just one guy, otherwise they would focus on dense population centers and people like bernie or Warren would have a chance to win.

[@81OH4Z4RD]

@@alexanderchristopher6237 they should be equal. but they're not equal. Low population states are overrepresented.

[@akorn9943]

Iowa- “At least you care about us during election year.”

[@juliansenfr]

Imagine being from the US territories, they'd be glad they even had a chance to vote in something.

[@fredrickthegreat2184]

As a Iowan I agree with this fully.

[@johnbarneswood]

Jordan Benter Us Iowans don’t have much to brag about on the national stage.

[@SoftwareNugget]

Our election system makes sure that every state matters

[@ainzsama3892]

This is the reason, why electoral college is better than popular vote

[@Christopher-md7tf]

"Why do we choose presidents this way?" That's what every other democratic nation on earth is wondering, too

[@gokulbalagopalpayyanur8080]

You should be thanking that you can choose your party nominee,in other countries party choose whoever they want and the party workers have no say in it

[@nandum.h3765]

Its true. I am from India which has a multi party system and there is literally 0 in party democracy

[@8523wsxc]

Don't kid yourself. Given the choice no one on this planet would pick the US system.

[@Nick-dk2zq]

@@8523wsxc would welcome party primaries here in Canada

[@gokulbalagopalpayyanur8080]

@@8523wsxc It's the perfect system if you remove the electoral college

[@milesm1234]

Hilarious how the “huge victory” narrative wasn’t applied to Bernie

[@MatauReviews]

@@LincolnMaurice Sanders beat a more crowded field. Bigger deal

[@finnslibrary2189]

@@LincolnMaurice MSNBC of all people gave a good speech about how the most important thing about the 2016 election is the revolutionary way of Bernie Sanders, who was basically the real winner

[@sethabdul7824]

Same thing after the Nevada caucus, where Bernie more than overperformed Hillary in 2016, won a majority of the votes against 10 other candidates, the media not only fails to acknowledge Bernie but are panicking over him, especially MSDNC.

[@Jacobzx]

It has been buddy.

[@Jacobzx]

No need to be cynical there my friend. It’s the antithesis of Democracy

[@williamnguyen3896]

this Barrack Obama senator dude sounds like a cool guy. He should run for president.

[@stalinsdog679]

William Nguyen worst president weak leader

[@keithnicolas3097]

@@stalinsdog679 cant talk if your owner decided to have temporarly alliance with Adolf Hitler

[@tanthedreamer]

Keith Nicolas as if England and France didnt appease Hitler so he would have attack the Soviet Union first

[@nooblord1233]

@@keithnicolas3097 hitler is dead but ok

[@Nicoder6884]

@@nooblord1233 So is stalin?

[@frocco7125]

"Hey mom, can we get some democracy?" Mom: "We have democracy at home." Democracy at home:

[@shitposter695]

God is your mom a gourmet chef cause thats some good food

[@itsawackyworld8717]

Democrats dont care about who you vote for 😂😂😂 that's why they always Lose

[@macruizphotography]

@@miksuko you must be an 8ball

[@arturintete2461]

noah jansen nah, it’s pretty bad. Our system is so obviously bad, but you people don’t like critically thinking, so you rely on circular reasoning instead.

[@peterjones5243]

@@miksuko If you nominate that dementia patient...

[@zee_bee_23]

As an Australian, I am now even more confused

[@inspiringer6418]

Same and im American

[@CHRISPYakaKON]

We are too

[@zee_bee_23]

ChrispyAKAKon lol well that can’t be a good system then!

[@edwardcumpstey9061]

It's not that hard to grasp. State parties organize primaries and caucuses. Based on the proportion of votes you receive in those elections, you are allocated a certain number of delegates. When the time comes for the National Convention, superdelegates (the big party bosses), usually vote according to the delegate count in their respective states. However, superdelegates could deny the primaries and caucuses all together and vote for whoever they favor if I remember correctly.

[@Tom_de_Oliveira]

@@edwardcumpstey9061 they're not confused how it works, they're confused by why the USA has such a terrible democratic system

[@kevinalexander7710]

5:05 talks aboutSuper Tuesday, puts all the states on a Monday.

[@johnadams7145]

Lol

[@derpmcgerp8062]

Iowa for 3 years: Iowa during election year: *Iowa is the best state! The people of Iowa are great! Boy do I love coming to Iowa! Let's invest in Iowa!*

[@hfreddy127]

Lol

[@BroAnarchy]

I actually didn't realize the "Iowa caucus" sign fell off when that guy was talking at that podium.... Interesting

[@ryanduffy6089]

There are also a few videos of people talking about how they couldn't correct math errors and stuff with american flags falling behind them lol

[@mysticbazuso36]

Poetic

[@eddiew2325]

hehe i just found out iowa stands international orgnaiztion of washington anarachists

[@remoir6273]

This comment is paid by Mike Bloomberg

[@felixb6]

Remoir This reply is sponsored by Mike Bloomberg

[@quentinjaxon7309]

@@felixb6 This reply is sponsored by Putin

[@addiosnia]

😂

[@DudeGamer8]

President Xi sponsored this comment to congratulate you for reaching 458 likes

[@scottclute9547]

@@harryk8696 Where does one apply for the $100.00????

[@rfldss89]

Having a national primary would increase the influence money has on the election? Hmm how bout you just, like, oh i dont know, dont let people donate to campains and have a fixed budget assigned to each nominee?🤔🤔🤔

[@rfldss89]

@Mathieu Levert like any decent democracy, basically

[@iwantmyprivacy4567]

Basically impossible to do that. The purse is a powerful tool lol.

[@adamcureface9741]

The problem is USA isnt a democratic/republic nation as people often claimed. USA is a huge CAPITALIST nation revolving around CAPITALIST values. Sooo the money goes where the money flows. Its unfortunate really, but hey thats life..

[@Ratchet4647]

Because here money is an accessory to speech, so campaigns are mostly funded by donations from supporters.

[@varunjohnson9570]

Welcome to India. The rule is there and our politicians on paper follow the rule. But still our system is better than this mess.

[@TroopperFoFo]

Reminder that the 1968 election was the last time a third party won a state. Since then both Democrats and Republicans have increasingly made it harder and harder for third parties to run.

[@samt3412]

Doesn't help with the media directly removing third parties from the conversation by acting like they don't exist

[@saresartus]

"Is there a better way to do it?" Ammm... yeah. Yes. Literally any other way.

[@blondie7240]

Just let the party pick the candidates... like in Europe

[@TheRedRaccoonDog]

@@blondie7240 The DNC used to do that.

[@johnmoore1495]

Truth Hurts no, our politicians are not clean like most of Western Europe. We’ll just end up with the Biden’s and Clinton’s of the Democratic Party every time.

[@lennart1208]

@@blondie7240 It seems like either are you emotional attached to this topic or you have no clue about European politic. Maybe you should do a quick research how some Europe systems works

[@cityuser]

@@lennart1208 I'm from Sweden - and we do let "parties pick candidates" i.e. party leader, however the election isn't about the individual. The election is about the parties (currently 8 represented) and their policies.

[@Pyraxian1]

The video ending reminded me of Ezra Klein's excellent points on how we enshrine the constitution and are so unwilling to change it, even though we used to change it a lot.

[@KHRrocks]

there were 15 amendments in the first 90 years

[@spiderduckpig]

KHRrocks I guess they’re more seen as old rigid founding principles nowadays that have held up the nation for as long as it has existed, but after they were initially created they were seen as newer and more flexible, and people were unsure of whether they were good or not

[@veronicalett-mcgee5392]

This was great. Would love to see Vox do a whole Civics 101 series. Help make the process more accessible so people feel more empowered to engage with it.

[@wastedvince]

Very informative, I loved watching it! Kudos to you, Vox

[@GregSarafian]

Hey Vox, the thumbnail of this video incorrectly indicates that Andrew Yang dropped out following the IA caucus. He actually dropped out after the NH primary, at the same time as Deval Patrick. Edit: This has since been fixed. Thanks!

[@neomcdoom]

Gregory Sarafian He dropped out before New Hampshire’s results were in

[@Jacobzx]

Jack Sprack no he didn’t dog. He definitely dropped out AS SOON as the results were in. How could you say that so confidently if you were not watching live??

[@Jacobzx]

Vox must have fixed it. It’s not there anymore.

[@-Rambi-]

Yes, much important. This is worth arguing about, totally.

[@victorymorningstar]

Stop crying over spilt milk, unless you wanna lick the floor.

[@WiseNickVZW]

1:40 Missouri and Arkansas are backwards. Arkansas is south of Missouri. EDIT: thank you Vox for fixing this. I wouldn't want you to think the Kansas City Chiefs are in Arkansas.

[@jonnyrion8769]

Nick Rains on a video featuring loads of maps they’re incorrect. 😑

[@kentonmcbride]

You just don't remember that Arkansas and Missouri switched places in 1968 for funsies. But seriously, it is an odd mistake....

[@Konglomerant]

Doesnt Vox have editors who are supposed to catch mistakes like that...guess not...

[@hawkeye1680]

As a Missouri resident, I was thoroughly confused by the map. It's strange to me to think that someone at Vox created this map from scratch.

[@leifharmsen]

Put me out of my missouri.

[@clbogas]

You all have 50 states, do a study to divide it into 5 fair groups that represent the American people and have 5 super Tuesdays. That way candidates can always have an idea if they should drop out or not, and you could also have a televised debate a few days after for the remaining ones...

[@FAKDTV]

Iowa in non primary years: We Exist! Iowa in primary years: You're just using us, leave our cornfields!

[@MAC-vi7fy]

600 million people voted in india in 2019 and the process I think was smoother.

[@BothHands1]

AK not a very high bar you're setting - having a smoother election system than the usa 😅 but either way, that's still impressive :)

[@rudranarayan6053]

it suits India, looking at amount of diversity we have even with a city forget a state. US kind system would not be wise

[@blanco7726]

China votes go even smoother ;)

[@CH-wp5hp]

@@rudranarayan6053 You think America is diverse? Have you seen India?

[@VinuDada]

@@rudranarayan6053 American diversity is nothing compared to India's lol.

[@fireflamefine625]

When you are obsessed with race and money you miss that the real injustice is the fact that two private companies have 50% of the decision making power over who can even run, how they can market themselves, how they have to manage their campaigns, how they can collect money and how they can spend it, where they can publicize their campaign, Which polls are determinant of how people are feeling about each came to early on, and ultimately who gets to appear on the debate stage, and why they get to appear on the debate stage.

[@NyJoanzy]

Preferential voting. Not *the* solution, but definitely a strong start.

[@johngossett1002]

This problem is on no way exclusive to issues of race or money nor is it at all obscure

[@babyfaec]

The government should handle it all.

[@samt3412]

@@babyfaec didn't know Bernie was in the comments

[@joshuatalks6213]

What companies?

[@jaydibernardo4320]

Great video Vox, one of the best from recent memory. I wondered what happened in Chicago in 68. Now I know. Thx

[@Justanothermusicnerdxo]

As a Illinois citizen, I’m definitely down with us being first. Illinois has a massive variety in political thought, and most people don’t really align with a party all too well.

[@pax4370]

I am not even from usa, why i am watching? Because of vox's interactive and intriguing animation and explanation.

[@maxworth4687]

Voz has nice animations but they are liberals through and through and they failed to mention that the app that failed in Iowa came from a company connected to CIA Pete Buttigieg.

[@dontpanic5278]

Also it's great to know whats going on in the world as a whole.

[@rysun8709]

It's good to know what doesn't work

[@marzuqahmed218]

@@maxworth4687 The verge made a video on that.

[@elizabethantoine9652]

Stop crying! Jeez

[@lilystorm632]

Why is the UP included with Wisconsin in April rather than the rest of Michigan in March? Do they have different primary days??

[@johnmoore1495]

Lily Storm Do you have a time stamp?

[@johnmoore1495]

Nate Chaoweeraprasit Lol the border is even blatant

[@LydiaSandefur]

Definitely a mistake, all of Michigan votes on the same day.

[@SanFranFan30]

@@ilovenoodles7483 what is the subliminal message there? that UP and Wisconsin are the same thing? what would be the point of that?

[@jefferyrockey5353]

@@ilovenoodles7483 the description box says the errors have been corrected. They have not.

[@262fabi]

Meanwhile the rest of the world laughs about this "democracy"

[@brownjatt21]

I mean They can laugh all they want, US still manages to be richest and most powerful country by a long shot. Whatever they're doing seems to be working for them.

[@helenpauls1496]

Pork Ninja It’s certainly an outdated system, harking back to when officials had to ride horse back to their Government, I believe! It’s a young country and still evolving. The war and god machine has been keeping its economy afloat, but like civilized countries, societies and demographics eventually change thing for the better.

[@quocvietophu1627]

@@brownjatt21 Dogs barking at the tiger

[@RandomgamingholstCoolgaming]

@@brownjatt21 say that to the homeless in your street. They will beat u up

[@annacoelho6300]

brownjatt21 Richest country in the world because it doesn’t pay for the education and health of its own citizens.

[@shanettequao9043]

Guys. I’m from the UK, I’m just wishing you guys the best. Please go and vote 🗳

[@trombonegamer14]

I was hoping you'd explain how a brokered convention would work, especially the part where someone who didn't get the most votes somehow swindles the nomination.

[@rjh00]

While not quite the same, they did touch on the issue of the party overruling the people in the election during Vietnam. Party overruled the people, the people went nuts and the party had to change things.

[@josephleonard6695]

a likely scenario with stop-and-frisk ultra-racist multibillionaire Mike Bloomberg, the robot designed by the establishment to stop Bernie Sanders with his mammoth wall of money

[@Jacobzx]

Well, if a candidate has a plurality of the delegates, (more than any other candidate) but not a majority (at least 50%) of the delegates then the convention is considered a brokered convention. At that point all delegates who were previously pledged to a particular candidate are now released and can vote for whoever they want. (This hasn’t happened since 1952) ((the 1968 convention actually was not brokered)

[@xanderbeutel9239]

Bernie would too, because caucuses dont count votes and are extremely undemocratic, but bernie loves them because they skew the result towards him. Hypocrisy is great :)

[@emmabellabass-lawrence1295]

0:55 relatable

[@64ccd]

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how incredibly skilled the people at Vox are explaining these things. You don't even notice the probably tens of hours of thinking just going into how to have a transition play out, in what order to give all the information on the topic and what metaphors to use to best simplify all these complex topics. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Vox is one of the best things to happen to the internet, ever.

[@patrick7975]

As someone from the uk you loosely follows US politics, this video has made the campaigning make a lot more sense

[@brownjatt21]

Yea the campaigning and how much effort goes into it is pretty interesting part about American politics. I mean candidates just pull up to peoples houses and start shooting hoops with you going door to door a lot of times lol. Kinda cool how personal and interactive American politics is.

[@jessetorres8738]

I feel that instead of having the 1st 4 primaries (Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina) 1 at a time, I feel we should either have them all at once like a mini Super Tuesday where they all vote on the same day, or (as Julain Castro suggested) we should switch up these 1st 4 state primaries every Presidential election. This way, candidiates don't just focus so heavily on just these 4 states at the beginning, and different parts of the country get their voices heard early on when voting for the Presidential nominee.

[@peffiSC2source]

Or maybe everyone votes on the same day via majority vote. You know, like reasonable people.

[@hectorvega621]

@88Gibson LesPaul and that the Senate is willing to allow Foreign Governments to interfere in our Elections, by the acquittal of Drumpf.

[@haydenwilliams4977]

88Gibson LesPaul Russian interference was proven false and Donald J Trump has fixed the economy and created laws that benefit the majority of Americans. He also recently signed into law a bill that made it illegal for other countries to criminalize homosexuality.

[@trungnguyenhoang6821]

@@peffiSC2source like Vox explain, Obama would have lost as other underdogs without money and name recognition

[@BlaBla-hq1bu]

@@haydenwilliams4977 That sounds fascinating. How exactly does this law work?

[@kadz3597]

ok, but why Wisconsin now own the Upper Peninsula?

[@HebaruSan]

Maybe they're implying MI would split its voting, with the UP voting when WI does

[@kadz3597]

@@HebaruSan but they have different dates

[@LOLWAAHH]

I saw that too lol

[@johnmoore1495]

Time stamp? I must’ve missed it.

[@MattRadick]

@@johnmoore1495 7:25

[@domjervis]

The way this is proceeding so far, I'm going to need more popcorn LOL

[@millacabral9475]

I think the rotation by region is a great idea. Most regions are quite diverse and would result in more representative primary elections.

[@Fredster000]

5:08 isn't super Tuesday on a Tuesday?

[@Mark-sd5jk]

Rubicon yeah we believe in freedom unlike some other parties

[@johnmoore1495]

Fredster000 probably an immigrant who made the graphic, most countries weeks start on Monday, so technically the Tuesday placement would be correct.

[@ziqi92]

@@johnmoore1495 And definitely did it in a hurry, since it definitely still says Monday up top.

[@elconejomalo787]

Rubicon come up with a new joke

[@DavidOrlandBrown]

I LOVE YOU VOX! NEVER STOP MAKING US VIDEOS!

[@junehunyo8798]

so primaries are just party-based electoral college.

[@robertwing7974]

Vox, continuing to teach me basic things about my government with colorful graphs so that my attention span can hold.

[@someoneneedswater]

It's kind of interesting to ask this question right now since the candidate with the most votes was Bernie Sanders. Now all of a sudden it shouldn't matter so much , even though we've been watching the Iowa causes for decades now...

[@tristanmoller9498]

Bro it shouldn’t matter that much because Iowa Democrats we’re incapable of counting votes

[@quadrupleh4226]

Super Tuesday: lets put the cutouts of states on a Monday. 5:06

[@mustachewalrus]

Jack H so many mistakes lol

[@altrag]

That one might be explainable if the graphic artist is from Europe.. they're a bit weird over there and tend to put the weekend at the "end of the week" (that is, Sunday is last and Monday is the first day of the week.) Of course, given that they're writing about an American system for a primarily-American audience, its still not _that_ great of an excuse.

[@Sophie-ze5yc]

"Is there a better way to do it?" It takes my country around one month to vote for a new president...

[@aresmars2003]

5:05 You dropped the "Super Tuesday" states on Monday!

[@s.w.9887]

Haha yeah, just noticed that

[@dominikosaurus5373]

5:35 actually a pretty good point, never thought about it

[@Julio974]

Actually, France uses this system and there doesn’t seem to have been this kind of problem

[@blanco7726]

Julio974 France has parties not candidates

[@merc_w0838]

@@blanco7726 France is also much smaller making it easier and cheaper to travel around convincing people to vote for you

[@Julio974]

Blanco France does have candidates, to be more precise the candidates are more important than the parties

[@blackcat1642]

Move to June, so underdogs have their chance

[@GeneralMakaveli]

1:46 Just a heads up... the UP is part of michigan and not Wisconsin lol.

[@swiftflight7927]

1:26 **

[@johnmoore1495]

Brayden Rothe it shows Wisconsin alone? I’m confused on what everybody is complaining about. They only showed lower Michigan when they showed Michigan but they didn’t give upper Michigan to Wisconsin.

[@swiftflight7927]

@@johnmoore1495 I don't fully follow, Wisconsin has the UP on it when looking at the Calendar portion.

[@johnmoore1495]

Brayden Rothe at 7:21 it does, not at 1:26.

[@swiftflight7927]

@@ilovenoodles7483 They want Wisconsin to have Superior.... OR A 51ST STATE!

[@frhneil1463]

hi vox, interesting informative video as always. I just wonder if you guys can make a video on Malaysia’s politic. The prime minister, Tun M have been elected as prime minister for the third time. Though, there’s a whole story about it. Just thought it will be an interesting topic to discuss on. Lots of love x

[@electron2601]

Thanks! This was really helpful information and it was explained really well.

[@easybreezysneezycovergirl911]

Democracy dies when one person's vote matters more than another.

[@haydenwilliams4977]

easybreezysneezy covergirl that’s delegates for you. 153k Texan votes for a delegate and 400k Cali votes for a delegates. Being in Cali means your vote means less

[@mica720x]

7:20 The U.P. is not Wisconsin!

[@tomcotter4299]

Why does Yang’s picture stop at Iowa in the thumbnail? He dropped out after New Hampshire.

[@MH-hh6uz]

Booker, who dropped out before New Hampshire, is shown completing New Hampshire. I’m sure the media has no agenda here.

[@tomcotter4299]

Mike H That is Deval Patrick.

[@clyvelawrence8820]

Tom Cotter yeah I was confused too

[@clyvelawrence8820]

Mike H that’s Deval patrick

[@shaneviola8848]

@@clyvelawrence8820 all black people look the same to him

[@Alexaction223]

As someone from NJ, I would totally be find with going second after IL in the primaries from here on out.

[@maritzarodriguez5106]

It's weird getting to a video right when it uploads lol

[@johnoke1206]

In Canada leaders of each party are picked at a convention by members of that particular party within a few months after the current leader steps down.

[@MrTohawk]

But Canada does have actual parties and not just two vague blobs.

[@johnoke1206]

Tohawk yeah we have at the federal level there are 6 major parties 4 left wing NDP(Democratic Socialists), Liberals(Justin Trudeau’s Party), Green Party(environmental) and the Bloq Québécois(Liberal pro independent Quebec) and 2 right wing parties the Conservatives( main right wing party) and the People’s Party(The closest party that is like Trump and lost all of their seats which was 1, because most Canadians don’t approve of Trump and though their leader Maxime Bernier was a straight up racist)

[@blt4life112]

Tohawk Idk. The same blind partisanship that plagues the US (*and the UK) has already started to infect Canada pretty severely.

[@MrTohawk]

@@blt4life112 what I meant is that there are more than 2 parties.

[@blt4life112]

The other parties never stand a chance and do more harm than good. They jyst act as a spoiler and stick Canada with a minority government.

[@volo455]

So we're just stuck in our ways: "how its always been done" for the most part

[@badpiggies988]

No wonder we keep getting disappointing presidential nominees, literally just one state decides all our nominees for both parties

[@troublesomebirdsong]

"If there was a national primary today, whoever has the most money as well as the most name recognition would probably do the best, because they are able to reach people and the already have an established backing in place." You say that as if the candidates haven't already been campaigning and debating for months, if not years, before the Iowa caucus happens. If they haven't already 'reached people' and 'established a backing' by then, they shouldn't be there. Drawing the process out over five months is all just a massive waste of time and money, stirred up by the media circus surrounding it.

[@merc_w0838]

Bad take

[@yunarikku2723]

So you're saying, one should run only if your well known?

[@travisdejong2354]

It's extremely difficult to "reach" millions of people if you are not well-known and have little money to start with. How are you going to pay for ads, literature, campaign offices and staff across 50 states without building up a movement over time?

[@yunarikku2723]

@@travisdejong2354 sure it's difficult but it's been done plenty of times before and I think that's a good thing. It keeps the famous and wealthy mildly in check

[@alexanderchristopher6237]

Ohello Nah, pretty much you need money and political clout to run in an election. Maybe not Jeff Bezos rich, but you need a war chest. After all, if poor people can do that, why haven’t I heard from John, the beggar from San Francisco, who said he’s gonna run for President? Just admit it: all candidates are rich and famous. That’s how they got into the ballot in the first place. That’s how they can make messages that reaches all Americans from Maine to Guam. “Keeping the rich and famous away from politics” is just a political platform. Know the difference.

[@usernnammee12345ffghjjjjjjjk]

And just like Obama, Bernie will go on to winning the election after winning Iowa. Let's have some real change in this country

[@Miquelalalaa]

Bernie's a weak man who appeases the activists around him. A stronger welfare state with socialised healthcare can't be effectively and efficiently maintained with mass immigration, and low skilled immigration depresses wages.

[@usernnammee12345ffghjjjjjjjk]

@@Miquelalalaa I'm against mass immigration as well but you can't tell me Trump has done much to curb it either

[@bigwangasltd368]

@@Miquelalalaa Well if that is the case then what would you suggest as an alternative? The status quo leaves profiteering within the healthcare industry that is slowly reducing coverage and increasing premiums for the average American. I would argue that would be the driving factor of a dysfunctional healthcare system rather the immigration scapegoat.

[@ryanduffy6089]

Bernie will have a tough time winning with the DNC rigging the game against him

[@Miquelalalaa]

Big Wangas Ltd I want a healthcare system that is free at the point of access. I’m not arguing against it, I‘m saying it can’t be properly maintained alongside mass immigration. Immigration needs to be reduced to prevent constant massive incline in demand.

[@lizcharpentier3133]

Do you guys have a list of sources for this video? Just wondering. Great explanation!

[@ImFromIowa]

As in Iowan I’m just glad I don’t have to hear those annoying caucuses ads on YT anymore. I’m glade it’s other states turn to suffer.

[@sg27182]

1:21 *DID YOU REALLY PUT THE UPPER PENINSULA WITH WISCONSIN* ?!

[@Jennyoy]

When people say Iowa and New Hampshire are the White states, they have forgotten that these are the states which voted for Obama, a black senator then, in 2008.

[@sesurosu]

your point?

[@jimmyvictus7305]

@@sesurosu they arent white states in the racist term, they arent completely clouded by race in mind and instead ideals.

[@crepperwlp]

So if you voted for Obama you're black, then? Those are the rules?

[@vickytsurka8109]

That's...not what that means

[@Jack.Strait]

Idk I live in Iowa and we're pretty cool so I think we definitely deserve to go first still tbh

[@mihirabnave]

Great job explaining what is and what can be. Thanks!

[@gandrade4]

That's so weird. In Brazil this process is so simple.

[@the.annethology]

When you're so early on a video there are no good comments yet.

[@BothHands1]

when you use the same comment everyone has been using for years because you haven't even watched the video yet

[@blt4life112]

There are plenty of comments older and better than this one. Actually, all of them are better.

[@MonarchPoolPlaster]

Including this one.

[@CoolBoyYeah]

yay I'm from Iowa and now I'm glad I'm important!

[@FeFe_05]

You should take a look at some regional elections in Germany. There, the partys make lists with their candidates but you can choose who you want to give your vote(s) to. So basically you can vote for the last candidate on the list instead of the first one. But the amount of seats the party gets is still determined by the overall votes their candidates get.

[@aaronjulien7331]

1:26 sorry honey, but Michigan is not Wisconsin

[@robertyepes8041]

1:37 Missouri and Arkansas are switched?

[@nihimti]

the primary itself is complicated, I hope vox explain it in a much simpler way

[@MohammedR-fk2ju]

The more I learn about American voting system the more I see how flawed and illogical it is.

[@gustavsantos6225]

well Brazil may be very terible but i really think that it really reflectes what people wants. it is very direct and we also have more than 2 parties

[@Jaylolipop38]

Thanks for the insight. Didn’t fully understand what the rage about the Iowa caucus as until now.

[@reinaldomartinez13]

Pretty much rigged against bernie

[@AussieDew01]

I honestly believe that the nominee should be decided directly by votes through ranked choice voting not delegates. If the Democrats want to abolish the indirect election of the President, why not start with the indirect election of their nominee?

[@PremierCCGuyMMXVI]

I know having a national primary won’t work because only the well known people would win but if you had a national vote say in June as opposed to February. That leaves more room for the other candidates to catch up.

[@noealva]

Let’s have a 2 or 3 round national primary where we narrow down the amount of candidates in each round.

[@jimmycawley6514]

Y’all put northern Michigan as a part of Wisconsin and you switched Missouri for Arkansas😐 who is editing these videos?

[@hawkeye1680]

THANK YOU! I normally praise Vox and their quality videos, but this was hard to watch.

[@chairmanmeow3884]

It's weird not seeing the title all in *CAPS*

[@benxvariety8878]

5:04 talks about super tuesday *puts visuals on the monday*

[@ikeekieeki]

thank you for this perspective

[@poosley7476]

That'd be cool, to see a system where it's groups go one by one, over time, by region. West coast, heartland, midwest, east, etc. Something to that effect. I'd like to see it.

[@jefflaclaire2206]

I miss Andrew Yang

[@phoebelo9532]

Same

[@Cuttuttlefish]

The states should just spread out over the course of a month, and what day each state goes on is drawn by lot, so the order is randomized. That way you have some spread but it changes year to year. You'd determine the order say a year in advance though, to give everyone chance to prepare and move their game to the early states. Just my two cents, I agree there are major problems with either the present system OR just having one big nationwide vote, different more creative ideas are needed.

[@raphaeldean5801]

I think having all four states go at the same time: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina, then like 2-3 months later, a national primary with everyone else. That would allow for the advantages of a sequential system with small States first, but also dilute the influence of the whiteness of the first two.

[@christypassy]

I just love how this video highlighted the ridiculousness of it all. A state goes first because it decided it wanted to and everybody went along with it?? Waw

[@Igyzone]

_Barack Obama_ : "I won Iowa because I spent 87 days going to every small town..." _Pete Buttigieg_ : "I won Iowa because I funded the Iowa voting app."

[@santanaeatis8239]

Look, that was a brilliant video and I learned a lot, but can we just talk about the beat for a second?

[@BizzeeB]

The only certain thing is that whatever changes are implemented, if any, will serve to benefit those already in power and maintain and strengthen the existing duopoly.

[@chriswatson3464]

How about having independent political parties who can choose the leader in the way that they want.

[@Debre.]

1:26 Michiganders MALDING

[@mohdiduanmasri3833]

3:22 reminds me of -Takeshi's Castle.- Gandalf. Yeah definitely Gandalf. YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!

[@kpouls552]

Growing up in New Hampshire, I was always grateful for the unhindered view I had of all the candidates before the national news media could dig its claws in. I wish other states could have that luxury. It absolutely needs to change.