User:DoctorWho42/BernieSingles.com

Bernie Singles is an online dating service where members can connect based on a mutual interest in American politician and junior United States senator Bernie Sanders. Sanders is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. As of February 22, 2016, it had 9,000 registered users.

History
The Facebook group Bernie Sanders' Dank Meme Stash inspired a spin-off dating group Bernie Sanders Dank Meme Singles. Bernie Sanders Dank Meme Singles was founded by Beth Hannah, who works for the Human Resource Development Council in Havre, Montana. Members post either Internet memes or personal advertisements. On February 22, 2016, the group had over 9,900 members and a team of 20 administrators.

Inspiration
Prior to Bernie Singles, Arizona State University political science sophomore student and co-founder Colten Caudle was inspired to create a Bernie Sanders-themed website based on the dating Facebook group Bernie Sanders Dank Meme Singles. Caudle also credits the group for finding his current girlfriend, Sadie Marie Jensen, a dog trainer from Portland, Oregon. In an interview with The Huffington Post's Blair Guild, Caudle said "I originally joked about making the site, but after seeing interest, I decided to take on the project."

Development
Caudle said it took two days to produce and about five days of beta testing before its launch. Previously, Caudle designed the website ProjectProgressive.org to promote progressive political candidates in elections and the United States. Meanwhile, co-founder David Boni owns a web development company called BoldMeta.

Launch
The website was founded by Colten Caudle and David Boni in February 17, 2016. It received 1,000 registered users within the first hour. Initial attention crashed the website and an upgrade was required. An online fundraiser via GoFundMe was posted to help with server costs. The target goal was $1,000 with the stipulation that excess funds would be donated to the Sanders campaign.

Operation
Membership is free. Registration requires birth date, biography, U.S. state, gender, sexual orientation, and username; as well as uploading a photograph to complete your profile. The website allows users to search for other users based on geographic region, add friends, or join micro-communities as "Christians for Bernie" or "Musicians for Bernie." Public chat rooms are also featured.

Users can search for matches by age, gender, orientation, location, and political beliefs. So far, the userbase is predominantly "college age" or in the 18 – 35 age range. The website has a voluntary team of web developers and moderators to ban Internet trolls like users with names like "Augusto Pinochet" or "Donald Trump".

Reception
Bustle's Lea Rose Emery called Bernie Singles "incredibly popular." Tech Insider's Leanna Garfield registered an account and over all found the website "might not be the most serious of dating sites." Critical of its Bernie Bro culture, New Statesman's Eleanor Margolis reviewed it as "an exercise in nausea-induced celibacy." KQED's Emma Silvers has called the website "seems to be shaping up as half-chatroom, half-safe space for people to 'talk Bernie' at each other."