Women’s march organizers hope to start movement
Or it could be more.
Progressives are hoping that the
"Those of us who go have to come home and march. We have to come home and be activists," said Rev.
"My hope is that we are starting to generate a generation of women activists," said Reaman, who organized a busload of mostly women to go to the march.
Men and women from across the
"We want to show our numbers. We want to show our voices," said
Longtime progressive activist
Using the tea party as a model
One model would be the success of the tea party movement, a political polar opposite of those organizing the women's march.
Conservatives began rallying against President
Locally-based in communities across the nation and laser-focused on opposing Obama on fiscal issues, the tea party movement galvanized opposition to Obama's signature health care reform effort by showing up at town halls organized by Republican lawmakers during the summer of 2009.
In less than two years the grassroots effort saw its supporters elected to national , state and local offices in a mid-term Republican landslide in
"The tea party people they've gotten their people into everything." said
"I think that's why the tea party movement really took off because we talked about issues," Scott said. "In 2010 it was like a big wave and it was handed over to the
In 2016 Scott ran Trump's
Ironically, it is Trump's victory that Scott said will help the progressive movement the most.
"I think as
"(
Political scientists
But being effective in a democracy requires winning elective office. And what
"No matter what you think of
Losing badly in the 2010 mid-terms had an unusually strong impact on
"
"Maybe that is something the women's march and
But Smith and Devine said that won't happen if progressives can't get past disagreements over tactics and priorities and avoid the "purity" tests for Democratic candidates that fractured progressives and helped give Trump the presidency.
"The purity is what mobilizes people, it makes them aspirational and want to brave the cold weather. But that doesn't ultimately get things done," Devine said. "If you want to actually get results you'll have to compromise."
Finding unity
Democrat
One example of the progressive purity test in action occurred the week after
That's not to say conservatives haven't had their share of infighting -- much of it on display during the 2016 presidential election. But when November came,
Longtime activists acknowledge that
"It's like herding cats," quipped
"I think one of the challenges for people on the progressive side of things is (that) we do think and work in a big tent," Grigsby-Williams said. "Because
"We have to start moving on and not having walls and mistrust between each other," Childs said. "If we stand together we will be able to reach our goals."
Elam and
Schoch said she's noticing more people becoming interested in getting involved in the nuts and bolts of party activism, realizing that that is the way to get candidates they support on the ballot and elected.
"I think the passion and the work and the focus is going to be there," said Schoch. "People are scared enough now to actually do something."
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