• by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, December 21, 2016

Progressives nationwide are upset with the election of Donald Trump. The rise in partisanship, coupled with alarming cabinet appointments, has heightened the sense of urgency in liberal circles. The Boston Globe reported today that his picks have a net worth greater than the world's 70 smallest countries — at least $13.1 billion.

Digital will play a crucial role in promoting and organizing action. Now more than ever, there is an overwhelming need to flex our civic muscles.

We saw the first glimpses with Jill Stein’s almost $7 million funding campaign for recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. She raised about twice as much in the few weeks after Trump’s win than she did during her whole campaign.

Stein’s fundraising was driven by the hashtag #recount2016, with only social media able to disseminate her message to the audience she wanted to entice.

“If there was one thing that could get the base motivated, it was getting Donald Trump elected,” Greg Berlin, founder of Mothership Strategies told Red, White & Blog.

“Various progressive groups are seeing an incredible amount of involvement since the election,” he continued. “Groups like the National Democratic Training Committee have seen a groundswell of support, more than they would have expected after an election.”

“A group in Maryland that helps recruit women to run for office saw their meeting attendance soar, from 50 on average, to 175 following the election,” Berlin added.

A digital-first strategy will be central to the successes of progressive groups like these.

“Targeting voters under 40 with accurate messages will be able to move the needle when it comes to progressive endeavors,” Berlin explained. “No one single organization will be able to make enough noise to serve as a bulwark against Trump. We will need dozens of groups that are doing good work to speak out.”

The media had various distractions that kept their focus off drilling deep into Trump's background (taxes, health record, company holdings) during the election. It will be much harder for Trump to deflect attention during his presidency. Digital platforms will play a crucial role in sustaining engagement from the progressive base and scrutinizing the 45th President of the United States.