Winning in 2020 is non-negotiable. We need to take the White House, but it also matters how we win. That’s why we graded the candidates on their ability to build grassroots power. What does that mean? We’ll break it down for you here 👇 
1. Fundraising. One measure of whether or not a candidate is building a win through grassroots power is the ratio of small dollar donations to big-money contributions.
Campaigns that are funded in majority by the grassroots are more responsive to the people than they are to wealthy donors & are under less pressure to chase the favor of those donors. So we graded candidates on whether they are focused on growing & diversifying the Dem donor base
2. Winning Strategy. There’s a lot of talk about “electability” in primaries, but at Indivisible, we know the truth about “electability” as a framework for judging candidates: it’s nonsense.
Electability is just a buzzword to describe candidates that generate excitement from wealthy donors. Cheap punditry has made electability a pervasive narrative in our primaries, but Democratic primary voters disagree on what makes a candidate “electable.”
As a result, women candidates, candidates of color, and candidates championing progressive ideas are often labeled as “unelectable”—even if voters overwhelmingly agree with their policies.
We’re invested in breaking the faulty “electability” framework and in finding candidates who are building a winning strategy instead. So, what does Indivisible consider a “winning strategy”?
We’re looking for someone who will motivate the Democratic base and build a large, multi-racial coalition of voters to turn out not just on November 3, but to volunteer, donate, and engage every day between now and then.
We graded candidates on whether they're building that coalition in every state by engaging diverse audiences, winning support from key movement organizations & working to uplift grassroots power down the ballot.
3. Supporting Progressives. One of the hardest things for an elected official to do is stand against members of their own party who do not live up to progressive values. It takes real courage to run against an entrenched incumbent & real courage to support those challengers.
Some of the earliest congressional primaries in 2020 will see anti-choice, anti-immigrant Dems competing against progressive challengers fighting to bring real change to the party. We want to know if the presidential candidates have taken the step to endorse those challengers.
This section also measures whether they’ve been showing up for major grassroots moments. We want to know if they joined striking union workers on a picket line, activists protesting at an immigrant detention center, or organizers who fought to flip the Virginia state legislature.
4. Relationship to Indivisible Groups. Indivisibles across the country have been hard at work for the past two and a half years to create the progressive powerhouse network that helped save the Affordable Care Act, fight the Trump Tax Scam, and build the Blue Wave.
Presidential candidates are eager to win the support of this movement’s leaders. We looked at who's been doing the work to win over Indivisibles and whether they’ve committed to continue engaging Indivisible in the general election and beyond.
5. Progressive Campaign Practices. A lot of candidates will say the right things when it comes to policy, but we want to know if they “walk the walk.” It matters how campaign staff is treated, whether interns are fairly compensated, and whether campaign unions are recognized.
We also want to know that the campaigns are reflective of the diversity of the Dem Party & that they're spaces free from all forms of harassment. We graded candidates on whether or not they're fostering a strong campaign culture that values diversity & supports & protects workers
That was a lot! But like we said it matters how we win this. Ready to see how the candidates actually stacked up? Check out the scorecard for yourself here:scorecard.indivisible.org
