The late House Speaker Tip O'Neill like to say that all politics is local.

Lots of people interpret this to mean that even if someone's ultimate goal is to work in the nation's capital,

they first need to build the skills and cultivate platforms that will win over voters in their own districts.

O'Neill, who died in 1994, happened to be a Democrat.

32 years later, he might be surprised to see how his party has lost its touch for using

local politics to cultivate national power.

From KERA in Dallas, this is think. I'm Chris Boyd.

Republicans, on the other hand, seem to be really effective at developing leaders' skills

by empowering them to run local and regional initiatives.

The difference, as my guest sees it, boils down to a focus on mobilizing, which Democrats

excel at, or a focus on organizing, which is the modern GOP's special strength.

Those terms might sound interchangeable, but Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and author Charles

Deuhigg says there are critical differences.

His recent article for The New Yorker is headlined, What Maga can teach

Democrats about organizing and infighting. Charles, welcome back to think. Thanks for having me on.

You start with a tale of two grassroots initiatives, drug abuse, resistance, education, and

mothers against trunk driving, Dare and Mad for short,

both of which came about in the 1980s.

How did each movement develop?

Well, it's a really interesting time in history, right?

Dare, the anti-drug program, started in Los Angeles, and it was started by the LAPD and

the LA's Unified School System. And almost from the by the LAPD and the L.A.'s unified school system.

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