Bernie and the Bern: Put the 'Us' in USA

Bernie Sanders, a buzz-name of 2016, made a comeback for the 2020 election. People rally behind him as fiercely as the bey-hive defends and supports Beyonce's every move. His digital landscape is well cultivated and expansive. As of the writing of this blog post, he has 13.8M followers on Twitter, 5.6M on Facebook, and 6M on Instagram.

So, how did this 79-year-old man garner a passionate base that spreads his message far with hashtags like #NoMiddleGround? For one, he built up an email list from his website and in it he asks for help in fundraising (raising $18M+ in the first six weeks) and volunteers (garnering 1M volunteers).

He connects with people in a Slack group, CONNECT with Bernie, where avid supporters can make plans to help out with his 2020 campaign. When signing up to join, you mark which social media platforms you use regularly, presumably to help organize you into the appropriate channels where you can help the most.

Josh Miller-Lewis, the digital communications director for the campaign, says that "something that's been part of Bernie's entire career" is video. He often live-streamed videos to reach a larger audience, launching a Twitch channel in June 2019, while rolling out live videos on Facebook, Twitch, and YouTube. In them, he makes sure to brand his campaign for presidency as a campaign for the American people. He continuously emphasizes "Not me. Us."

On brand, he released a BERN app for desktop, which allows supporters of Bernie to organize and relay information about the campaign. He empowers people to be part of his voice. He tweets daily, multiple times a day, and he started a podcast, Hear the Bern. It is undeniable that his bid for presidency was full of powerful, broad digital tools that help people get involved with his campaign.

It wasn't enough to win him the presidency. But his campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, told CNN that Bernie "won't make a decision about the future of his campaign without receiving input of those who have been by his side." Again, on brand for Senator to put the Us before the me. He asked for feedback, and refused to change his position despite being at an obvious disadvantage to now-President-elect Joe Biden because he needed to hear from his base first.

Though he didn't win the bid for presidential nomination, I'd like to believe he made huge strides in the USA. While he might not be the democratic nominee nor the president elect, he amplified the voice of left-wing voters who find the current moderates too center. He brought to attention that Medicare for All shouldn't be a privilege but a right, and that there should be no Middle Ground for issues like abortion.

I remember so clearly, my AP Comparative Politics teacher asking if anyone needed a ride to a Bernie event in San Diego. I remember my APUSH teacher saying she won't say where she stands, but she believes that a two-and-a-half party led by someone like Bernie Sanders is an indicator that while he might not win the election, he will win ideologically because he will push the entire democratic party further left.

So even while he lost, he still won. His followers and beyond will continue to Feel the Bern.

---

Interact with me!

• How do you feel about Bernie's digital campaign? Was it effective?

• Who were your favorite bids for nomination?

• Do you think that Bernie has a lasting effect on the democratic party?

• Is there anything I missed or anything you were excited about learning? Please share!