Former NBC News host Chuck Todd said Monday that the Democratic National Committee's (DNC) primary calendar looked as though the national Democratic Party was trying to thwart a progressive insurgent candidate from breaking through in 2028.During his podcast, "The Chuck ToddCast," the ex-NBC host said the schedule looked like it was made to make life harder for a progressive candidate."The more I study this map, the more I think, whether intentionally or simply by consequence — though I don't think there's any accidents in presidential politics — this calendar is intended to make life harder for an insurgent progressive.That's its intent," he said. "The sequence itself is the story, right?" he continued.
"Opening with South Carolina and closing with Virginia, a state that has been very friendly to Democrats, but not very friendly to progressive Democrats, right? But the sequence here does tell you something: South Carolina, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan, Virginia — not a place that's home to many super progressive electorates, right?"KAMALA HARRIS IS THE 'FAIRLY OBVIOUS' 2028 PRESIDENTIAL FRONTRUNNER, DEMOCRATIC INSIDERS SAYChuck Todd appears on his final show as chair of "Meet the Press" in Washington, D.C.on Sunday, Sep.
10, 2023.Ken Martin attends the event "Celebrities And National Leaders At the DNC Winter Meeting For Stand Up For a Living Wage" at The Three Clubs on Dec.
10, 2025, in Los Angeles, California.(William B.
Plowman/NBC via Getty Images; Olga Onate/Getty Images)Todd said if Wisconsin or Iowa were included in the early primary window, progressives would be happier.The DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee (RBC) voted to keep South Carolina as the first-in-the-nation primary on Friday.The panel also voted to allow Nevada, New Hampshire, Michigan, Virginia and New Mexico to hold primaries in the early voting window, before the rest of the states hold nominating contests starting ahead of Super Tuesday.Axios reported Sunday that pro...