And now from Luminary Media and the University of Chicago Institute of Politics, the Axfiles,

with your host, David Axelrod.

For my latest Axfiles show on CNN, we did something a little different.

We went to Iowa, home of the first in the nation presidential caucuses, to catch up with

the candidates, activists, and especially the voters who on a snowy winter night in February

will window down this democratic field, but follows the portions of those conversations.

One of my first stops was to see David Yepsin, an old friend and certified Iowa sage who,

for more than three decades, was the lead political writer for the Des Moines Register.

So I've asked this question of others, and you know this very well because you're a student

of these things, but the country sort of looks at Iowa and says, who are they to make

this decision?

So I guess my question is, to you, what is the answer to that question?

Is Iowa really the filter through which these candidates should pass?

And do you think they'll come a point when the national parties, when the national parties

decide this isn't the way to go?

It could.

Every four years I heard, oh this will be the last year, Iowa is important.

I was important because I was first.

People here in Iowa have, you know, they have no market on being good Americans who are

trying to do their civic duty.

And I don't think Iowa ought to be so parochial as I say, Jesus, if there's a better way

we can pick our presidents.

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