Following the election of Trump we’ve seen very large backlash from many on the political left. From protests the day after his victory to the ‘Women’s March’ the day after his inauguration, hundreds of thousands have turned out to denounce the Trump presidency. This has formed into a loosely organized coalition that dubs itself the ‘Resistance.’ Comparisons to the mass movement have been made to the Tea Party, a grassroots political movement in opposition to Obama’s agenda. The two hold many similarities, but ‘Resist’ will be unable to replicate the political success of the Tea Party unless it makes significant changes to its message and tactics. Resist is an oppositional phrase and while it aims to oppose an agenda, its overwhelming message is against Trump personally. They do specify some policy grievances, with a focus on identity politics and near universal support for action against anthropogenic global warming. However, whatever these specifics are, they are drowned out by cries of ‘fascist,’ ‘dictator,’ and ‘supremacist.’ If the State of the Union address is any indication, there is an inherent problem with tying opposition to a person, especially a caricature of one, it is dependent on that person fitting the bill.

This is not to say that the Tea Party avoided extreme rhetoric, had a sharp political focus, and ignored personal attacks. It struggled with many of these same problems, especially in its earlier forms. It differs with its focus on an indisputable fact, the very large deficit. The various reasons for the deficit’s size did little to detract from its ability to anchor a host of grievances against the current government. From anger about a poor economy to perceived government overreach, spending levels were easily visible and blamable and they directly addressed the major concerns of the day. The Resistance needs to make the same transition by demanding action backed by a powerful fact that captures much of its grievances. Unfortunately, many of its larger themes, income equality, discrimination, and climate change, are increasingly insular concerns, rating very low relative to other concerns. However, despite their ceiling on attracting support, anyone of these provides a more reliable path forward.

The movement faces numerous challenges, but first and foremost, it must root itself in something other than a subjective interpretation on the kind of leader Trump is. If it is able to do so, its future will not be determined by Trump’s behavior, but by its own abilities to agitate for change.