Out Of Power, Democrats Hope To Harness Trump Resistance

ATLANTA (AP) — Out of power and looking for a way forward, Democrats are hoping to harness the energy of an opposition movement that has flourished since President Donald Trump took office. The ideal for the party is to use a disparate network of liberal and progressive groups — like the Facebook sensation that led to worldwide women's marches the day after Trump's inauguration — to drive voters to the polls in gubernatorial and special House elections this year and congressional midterms next year. "The grassroots cannot win without political powers, and the political powers cannot win without the grassroots," said Brad Bauman, a liberal Democratic consultant who previously ran the Congressional Progressive Caucus. The chair candidates, other potential DNC leaders, state party executives and the leaders of the liberal groups are talking about how to maximize the anti-Trump surge that began with street demonstrations last month and has continued this week as Republican members of Congress meet angry constituents at town halls across the country. The risk is that Democrats and their like-minded groups stay disorganized or, even worse for the party, end up fighting with each other, yielding nasty primary battles and a split party that is no match for Republicans. Liz Jaff, who is running for national vice chair, has organized a gathering Friday, the day before the 447 DNC members will choose a chairman and other officers, that will bring together leaders of a half-dozen liberal activists groups with top DNC members. Tea party candidates cost Republicans a few winnable Senate seats early on, but the GOP managed to harness the movement to win control of the House in 2010 and the Senate in 2014. Even before Trump's election, Vermont Sen.