<em>The Ticket: </em>South Carolina, with Jennifer Palmieri

South Carolina has long been a turning point for Democratic candidates.

In 2016, Bernie Sanders put up an unexpectedly strong challenge to Hillary Clinton, but his blowout loss in the Palmetto State was the beginning of the end. In 2008, when the post-Iowa polls shifted towards Barack Obama, South Carolina was a clincher for his candidacy. Iowa and New Hampshire may get most the attention, but it’s the state voting tomorrow that’s often key to winning the nomination.

To preview the South Carolina primary (and the looming Super Tuesday), Edward-Isaac Dovere sat down with Jennifer Palmieri for the latest episode of The Ticket: Politics From The Atlantic. Palmieri was the Communications Director for the Obama White House and the 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign. Listen to the full episode here:

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Despite running against Sanders in 2016, Palmieri is skeptical of the many candidates pitching themselves on electability.

“You’re not winning when you’re just trying to beat somebody else. You’re winning when you have your own argument, your own agenda,” she tells Dovere. “And I do credit Sanders for building that kind of campaign.”

Listen for:

• Behind-the-scenes moments of the 2016 primary: from Clinton entering a hotel to chants of ‘lock her up,’ to the candidate’s private belief that she would lose to Bernie Sanders

• Why Palmieri thinks voters shouldn’t try to find the perfect candidate to beat Trump

• How Elizabeth Warren’s run has shown the gender bias that still shapes American politics

Voices:

Kevin Townsend is a producer at The Atlantic.