On the Gist, the Iowa caucuses was created to disenfranchise babysitters.

In the interview, Mike talks with NPR's Steve Inskeep about his new book, Imperfect Union: How Jessie and John Frémont Mapped the West, Invented Celebrity, and Helped Cause the Civil War. They discuss the ways in which the Frémonts navigated their world, and the modern currents found in their story.

In the spiel, the Iowa caucuses were a mess.

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