Leadership.
A national vision is only as strong as the local organizations that carry it. The Democratic Party's local infrastructure has atrophied to the point of near-irrelevance in many communities — existing only as storage facilities for yard signs between elections.
The Democratic Party's candidate pipeline is broken. Too many candidates come from the same narrow set of elite backgrounds — law, consulting, academia — and lack the authentic connection to working-class communities that effective populist politics requires.
The New New Deal commits to:
• Systematic leadership development programs at the local level, identifying community
leaders in every demographic
• Financial support structures that make it possible for people without personal wealth to
run for office
• Mentorship programs connecting promising local leaders with experienced elected officials and organizers
• Candidate training programs focused on the practical skills of retail politics, not just
policy sophistication