Tonight was supposed to be about Democracy in action

Walking into the 13th precinct this evening, my colleague Kathryn Diss and I met a man who said he'd been showing up to caucuses for over 30 years.

He said it with a sense a pride, and from his tone of voice it was clear that his caucus-going was a pleasure, not a chore. His eyes lit up when he heard Kathryn's accent and listened to her explain that, as an Australian, she'd be observing the process for the first time.

"This is such a special part of America," he said with a smile. Then he thanked her for being there to tell the world about it.

In this moment, it can feel like the country is more divided than ever. The President is on trial for impeachment. It's clear Russia had a tangible influence over the last election.

And I feel like thousands of Iowans were coming into tonight with a sense of hope that's rare in this era of US politics. Finally their voices would be heard loud and clear. Millions more Americans would watch at home, vicariously experiencing that sentiment and counting the days until their turn was coming.

But instead, the night has become about doubt, skepticism and blame. Candidates accused each other of false reports. Neighboring states labelled Iowa as irresponsible and dangerous. The media painted the whole thing as a catastrophe.

And there's reason to believe that voters didn't fall asleep thinking about that "special part of America" but rather asking whether their country's democracy is well and truly broken?