WCBC

October 9th, 2018 by WCBC Radio

WTOP report that when Donald Trump unexpectedly won the 2016 presidential election, a lot of Maryland progressives were appalled and shocked into action. Thousands demonstrated on the streets of Washington, D.C., sent money to liberal causes, formed new “resistance” groups overnight, and took to Facebook, email and Twitter to express their anger and dismay.

But experienced political observers asked, “Is this anger going to blow over, or will it translate into real changes in the next election?”

Maryland Matters has been checking in with these left-leaning “resistance” groups around the state, and the answer seems to be: they’re fired up and in full campaign mode.

While in most states the “Blue Wave” is just an optimistic expression of Democratic hopes, in Maryland it’s an actual organization. The Maryland Blue Wave Coalition brings together the state Democratic Party, Indivisible chapters in Montgomery, Towson and Howard County, Together We Will, Do the Most Good, Progressive Maryland, the gubernatorial campaign of Benjamin T. Jealous (D), and Our Revolution – about 30 groups in all.

Typical of these progressive groups is their eagerness to work in varying coalitions. For example, before the June primary election, four of them – Progressive Maryland, Progressive Neighbors, Our Revolution and Democratic Socialists of America – put out a joint voters’ guide spotlighting preferred candidates.