February 16, 2017 6:05 PM

New Trump-resistance group Indivisible borrows tips from the tea party

By Cynthia Sewell

csewell@idahostatesman.com

On Valentine’s Day, about 50 people visited the Boise offices of Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch and Rep. Mike Simpson. They delivered a petition signed by 1,000 people calling for each to hold a town hall meeting to hear their concerns and answer questions.

Sam Sandmire, of Boise, traveled to all three offices with the group. She was surprised by how many people turned out. She asked eight participants how they had heard about the event. They cited friends, neighbors, co-workers and various social-media groups. “I got eight different answers,” she said.

Americans seeking to resist President Donald Trump have found myriad ways to come together organically — through social media, online groups, neighborhood groups and old-fashioned phone calls. ... Some of them are borrowing from the tea party playbook of 2009 and 2010, which succeeded in getting Congress to listen to a small, vocal and dedicated band of citizens. They have joined a new group, Indivisible, which has taken off in the past few weeks.

Indivisible followed the posting of the 26-page “Indivisible: A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda.” The guide has been downloaded more than a million times. More than 7,000 Indivisible groups have registered. Every state has some. Idaho has a statewide group and at least five local ones. ... In Utah last week, Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz was shouted down by resisters at his town hall.
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Cynthia Sewell: 208-377-6428, @CynthiaSewell