The Daily Show: Ears Edition - ICYMI - Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse - Why Is the Iowa Caucus First?

Episode Date: February 2, 2020

Jordan Klepper examines Iowa's powerful role in presidential primaries and wonders why the caucuses don't kick off in a state with more diversity. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Min Like, none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17th.

Tonight's debate was in Iowa, because in just three weeks, they will cast the first votes in the Democratic primary, just like they do in every presidential election. And if you want to know what it feels like to be to be not to change to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be a to be a to be a to be a to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to 60 minutes, a to 60 minutes, a to 60 minutes, a to 60, a to 60, a to 60, a to 60, a to 60, a to 60, a to 60, a to 60, a to 60, a to 60, a to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the thi.si. 60 minutes, their the the the the the the the the the the the first votes in the Democratic primary, just like they do in every presidential election. And if you want to know what it feels like to be number one, while our own Jordan Clapper went on the road to find out. Last weekend, I went to beautiful, balmy Iowa to see how they feel about kicking off primary season. I cannot be more excited to be in the center of the universe. Center of the universe.

Right here. Des Moines, Iowa, baby. Let's get this caucus going. Boom! It's fucking caucus time, baby! The excitement for the Iowa caucus is like no other primary event and that's for one reason access to the candidates. Andrew Yang came to my house he was in my front yard he shook my babies and kissed my hands he was

awesome. Was it because you liked your babies or you were testing if they were robots? I was supporting Joe Biden. I got a Christmas card from him and Jill. Oh well I didn't get one from Tom Stire too. Well I didn't get one from the the the to you you you to to to the to to to the to the to to the to the to the to the to to the the the the the to the the to their to to their to be to be their their their they. their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I'm. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t's nice. I got one from Tom Stier too. Oh, I didn't get one from him. Well, you just don't count. Well, Stire flex. I met Corey Booker last year, Spring Break. You hooked up with Booker over Spring Break? And I have the selfie video to prove it. Congrats.

It seems like any jackass can get up close and personal with the candidates. How have you enjoyed your time here in Idaho? Oh, maybe you're new at this, but we are in Iowa. What did I say? You said Idaho. I said, I've been a lot of places. I was still learning and had one very important question. Why is Iowa first? Oh God, I don't know.

We're not really sure why, and I think a lot of other people are thinking the same thing, but just because we always have been maybe, or... Is that a good enough reason? Not really. Why do you guys get to be first? Because it's written into our constitution. It's like, oh, I said it's to sit up front. Hey guess what it is, man. All right, I needed some real Iowa background and a beer. So I sat down with local columnist Liz Lenz.

How did Iowa become first? It happened in 1972 because of paperwork. And then in 1976, Jimmy Carter came in, won the caucuses and showed that if you came to Iowa, you could grab the attention of the nation. So it was basically, it thanks to Jimmy Carter, that Iowa became a thing. Yeah, so those poor little peanut farmers who one day dreamed to be president, they were like, now there's a place I can go.

A place where there are farmers, but they're different than they farm corn. Maybe I can be present. And soy. You guys do soy as well. Yeah, I mean it's very varied. It's very diverse here. That's what I've noticed. It's actually not diverse. And that's the problem. What's the problem? With the caucuses. We're not diverse. In fact, Iowa is over 90% white. So Julian Castro, Mike Bloomberg, and even the famously hostile USA Today say that Iowa doesn't reflect the country's demographics. Just look at these White E's who qualified for tonight's debate. I'm sure the rational folks of Iowa would agree. There's been some criticism of Iowa going first in the nation.

I think they're crazy. You understand that there's a diversity issue. Right, but we're not giving up first place, just so you know. That's American and it's f-hick, isn't it though? You know, Iowa isn't known for its diversity, but I really contend that Iowa is very diverse. I'd like to think that Iowa has a good, we represent the whole country where a melting pop. It's 90% white, but the 10% that's white, but that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's not white that's not white that's that's not white that's not white that's not white, that's that's that's not white, the 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10% that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's that's not white that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not white is 100% not white. It is. Highway isn't the most diverse place. Rural could be a minority, right, in the whole nation?

Absolutely. Rural could be a minority? That's a real hot Iowa take. You're going to hear people say we're all white. We're old. I would never say that. Well, you probably do. You just didn't tell me because you're being respectful. I did, but it was two minutes ago and I've forgotten it. We try to be diverse.

And actually, Perry Iowa has a huge Hispanic Latino population, like where we are now. You can see it in there, right? Yeah, well, well, not in. Certainly, but they, not in the, maybe not in the people. In theory, yes. In theory, in practical practical practical, in practical, in practical, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, in, the reality, the the the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, theory, it's definitely. In theory, yes. In practicality, the reality, no. But theoretically, 100%. It's almost, it's practically 50-50. Yeah.

Okay, look, Iowa is actually really engaged, and they take this seriously. But they've had the opportunity of being first for over 40 years. And the rational people, so I'll ask one more time. Wouldn't our country benefit from kicking off primary season with a state that's a bit more representative? Okay, please don't go there with me. I'm not even... You don't want to go there? I will. I'll go there with you? I'll go there? Go there with me? If you are a state that has civil discourse and is compassionate and open-binded,

obviously we are diverse in our heart and by nature and I'm not doing that because I'm all white privilege. I'm saying that because it's real. Well but diverse in your heart is kind of a white privilegey thing. It is a white privilege thing too. But we think when we discuss and we say well is that is that best for all of us? I would say the civil discourse here in Idaho is alive and well. Okay except we are in Iowa. Did I w. the the the the the the the the the that? th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. that's that's that's th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. I th. I th. I to to to to to to to to to toe. I toe. I toe. I toe. I toe. I thii. I thi. I thi. I are in Iowa. Did I? I keep doing that. Yeah. Yeah. What did I say? Idaho.

Idaho. And we are in Ida, Iowa, Iowa, Iowa. Whatever. At least I'm not in Ohio. the today's today. the daily show with Kervnoa, the Edition. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central, and the Comedy Central app. Watch full episodes and videos at the Daily Show.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to the

Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and more. This has been a Comedy Central Podcast. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes a second look

on Apple podcasts starting September 17.