--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Welcome to Today Explained. I'm Sean Rameswaram.
--:-- Noel King: And I'm Noel King.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Today, we're talking about the presidential election. John Dickerson is here to help us make sense of it all.
--:-- John Dickerson: Thanks for having me on the show.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: John is a co-host of Slate's Political Gabfest podcast and has been covering presidential campaigns for over 20 years.
--:-- John Dickerson: That's right. And I have to say, this year's election is already feeling like a long one.
--:-- Noel King: Yeah, it's only February, and we've already got a dozen candidates running. What's going on here?
--:-- John Dickerson: Well, the short version is that we've got a crowded field with no clear frontrunner. Everybody wants to be the first person to capture everybody's attention.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: And that's the key, right? Attention and name recognition are everything in politics.
--:-- John Dickerson: Exactly. And that's why we're seeing candidates announce their runs so early. They want to get a head start on building their brand.
--:-- Noel King: But isn't that a problem? I mean, it feels like we're already tired of hearing about these candidates.
--:-- John Dickerson: That's a fair point. But the thing is, this isn't a new phenomenon. We've been seeing this trend for decades.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Can you give us some historical context? How did we get to this point?
--:-- John Dickerson: Well, let's go back to John F. Kennedy. He was a candidate in 1960, and he basically said that the old way of picking candidates through backroom deals was a bad idea.
--:-- Noel King: And he argued that candidates should expose themselves to the voters during the primaries.
--:-- John Dickerson: That's right. And that's exactly what he did. He went out and campaigned in West Virginia, a state where he wasn't expected to do well because of his Catholicism.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: And he won over the voters there.
--:-- John Dickerson: That's right. And that's when it started to sink in that the primaries were the real test of a candidate's mettle.
--:-- Noel King: So, it's not just about getting your name out there. It's about building a connection with the voters.
--:-- John Dickerson: Exactly. And that's why Jimmy Carter's campaign in 1976 is often cited as an example of how to do it right.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Can you tell us more about Carter's campaign?
--:-- John Dickerson: Sure. Carter was a relatively unknown candidate at the time, but he worked hard to build a connection with the voters in Iowa.
--:-- Noel King: And he ended up winning the nomination.
--:-- John Dickerson: That's right. And it's a great example of how a candidate can come from nowhere and win the nomination.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: But what about the downside of starting early? I mean, we've seen cases where candidates have announced their runs too early and then faded from the scene.
--:-- John Dickerson: That's a great point. Bob Dole's campaign in 1996 is a good example of that.
--:-- Noel King: And Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2008 was another one.
--:-- John Dickerson: Exactly. And it's a challenge for any candidate to stay in the conversation for a long time.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: So, what can we learn from all of this? Is there a way to make the presidential election process better?
--:-- John Dickerson: Well, I think one thing we can learn is the importance of humility. We've seen cases where the press has gotten it wrong, and the voters have surprised us.
--:-- Noel King: And that's a good lesson for all of us, not just the press.
--:-- John Dickerson: Exactly. And I think we can also learn from the way the UK and Canada handle their elections. They have a more streamlined process that allows candidates to focus on the issues.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: That's an interesting point. But isn't there a trade-off there? I mean, don't you lose out on some of the benefits of a longer campaign?
--:-- John Dickerson: That's a fair point. But I think the benefits of a shorter campaign outweigh the drawbacks.
--:-- Noel King: And what about the media's role in all of this? Do you think they're doing a good job of covering the election?
--:-- John Dickerson: Well, I think the media has a lot to learn from this process. We need to focus more on the issues and less on the horse race.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: That's a great point. And finally, what's your take on the ideal time for a presidential campaign to start?
--:-- John Dickerson: I think January of next year would be a good time to start. That way, candidates have plenty of time to build their brand and focus on the issues.
--:-- Noel King: And that's a good note to end on. Thanks, John, for joining us today.
--:-- John Dickerson: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: And that's all for today's show. Thanks for listening to Today Explained.
--:-- Noel King: If you want to learn more about the presidential election, check out our episode on the history of the primaries.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: And if you want to support our show, you can become a member of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
--:-- Noel King: Thanks again for listening.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: And we'll see you tomorrow.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Today Explained is a production of Vox Media. Our executive producer is Irene Noguchi. Bridget McCarthy, Luke Vanderplug, Noam Hassenfeld, and Nafim Shapiro make the show too. Siona Petros is our intern, and Jillian Weinberger has been helping out the past few days.
--:-- Noel King: Music comes to us from the mysterious Breakmaster Cylinder.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Thanks again to the Vanguard Podcast for their support today.
--:-- Noel King: And if you want to check out the Vanguard Podcast, you can find it just about anywhere you can find this one.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: It's all about setting up and launching and managing your own small business and connecting with the community in which you exist.
--:-- Noel King: Who can't relate to that?
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Vanguard, new episodes every Wednesday.
--:-- [Music continues to play as the show ends]
