User:Terilg/sandbox

Draft Bernie for a People's Party ("Draft Bernie") is a grassroots effort to convince [|Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders] to build on the popularity and influence he gained during the 2016 Democratic Presidential Primaries to use that support to found a new progressive political party.

The Draft Bernie movement was triggered by an article published in the Huffington Post, written by Nick Brana, a staffer from the [|Sanders presidential campaign], titled Sanders Can Be the Lincoln of Our Times drawing parallels between Bernie's influence and conditions in 2016 politics with Abraham Lincoln's role in the formation of the Republican Party in the 1850s. Brana's article attracted the attention of many who had supported Sanders in the 2016 primary who were dissatisfied with the outcome of the 2016 election cycle, as well as the direction of the Democratic Party, and were interested in building an organization around making a public plea to Senator Sanders.

Draft Bernie for a People's Party formally launched in February of 2017, via a steering committee headed by Brana, and comprised of a group of former delegates and volunteers from the 2016 campaign. The central focus of the Draft Bernie movement was the deployment of a petition to Senator Sanders, and the goal of accumulating thousands of signatures, to tangibly demonstrate support for the idea of Senator Sanders leading a new progressive party.

Relying primarily on social media and media outreach, the Draft Bernie movement quickly attracted supporters across the United States. With the help of the most ardent supporters, the Draft Bernie team set up a national organizing effort, with national organizing leads in XX states, conducting outreach and collecting signatures online, as well as at local political events.

Over the course of roughly six months, the Draft Bernie steering committee and its supporters collected over 50,000 petition signatures, which were delivered to Senator Sanders' office in September of 2017. At the same time, Draft Bernie extended an invitation to Senator Sanders to participate in a Town Hall meeting in conjunction with the People's Convergence Conference, and with participants including Dr. Cornel West, Seattle City Councilwoman Kshama Sawant and Draft Bernie founder Nick Brana. Senator Sanders did not attend, yet the Town Hall, livestreamed over the Internet produced a rousing discussion regarding the need for a new, progressive political party within the United States. This sentiment was being felt widely by progressives.

On the heels of the Draft Bernie Town Hall, and amidst much discussion, Draft Bernie for a People's Party made the decision to carry on its mission without Senator Sanders, and rebranded itself - Movement for a People's Party, launching with a new logo and website.