A survey published on Wednesday by the Pew Research Center found
that nearly three-quarters of Democrats said they were concerned the party would not do enough to oppose Mr. Trump; only 20 percent were concerned Democrats would go too far in opposition.
“Part of what I think the Bernie campaign taught us, even the Trump campaign taught us, and now the resistance is teaching us, is just ditch the consultants and consult with your conscience and constituents first,” said Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii, warning his fellow Democrats
that “it’s a fool’s errand to try to plan this out like it’s a traditional political operation
By undermining Mr. Trump across the board, he said, Democrats hope to split Republicans away from a president of their own party.
Mr. O’Malley said the party base plainly wanted leaders who would be “willing to fight the fight
and where necessary filibuster and otherwise obstruct.”
He said he expected younger, fired-up liberals to run against some Democratic incumbents as well as Republicans.
“And of course we can’t do that by ourselves.”
Some in the party also fret that a posture of unremitting hostility to the president could imperil lawmakers in red states
that Mr. Trump won last year, or compromise efforts for Democrats to present themselves to moderate voters as an inoffensive alternative to the polarizing president.
This is a time to take a different posture of true aggressiveness.”
Martin O’Malley, a former Maryland governor who has endorsed Mr. Buttigieg, said impatient Democrats
might challenge even members of their own party in their enthusiasm to take on Mr. Trump.
