Veterans for Bernie Sanders was the national grassroots association of military veterans organized on behalf of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential campaign. Vets for Bernie was independent from the official campaign and largely organized via social media, with more than 50,000 military members and over 100,000 followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Founded by veterans of the Iraq war and Afghanistan war, Vets for Bernie became a key organizing force for progressives and military voters for the Sanders campaign.
Bernie Sanders served as chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, and was the first 2016 candidate for President to fully embrace the U.S. military with a robust veterans platform. He faced criticisms, however, for not preventing the Veterans Health Administration Scandal of 2014 that occurred during his tenure as committee chair. Through their website, Vets for Bernie highlighted the various awards and honors given to Sanders for his career of veterans advocacy and handling of the 2014 scandal. VFB was credited for developing innovative "social media content based around endorsements from individual veterans." On July 30, 2015, Manker promoted Vets for Bernie and military support for Sanders in a live interview with John Seigenthaler on Al Jazeera America. Vets for Bernie volunteers worked loosely with the Sanders campaign to organize veterans to attend local rallies. Early on, the Sanders campaign staged a military veterans press conference in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with assistance from Vets for Bernie. VFB participated in Enough is Enough, Netroots Nation, and People's Summit. Along with the larger People for Bernie group, VFB was credited with using effective mobilization techniques. On March 25, 2016, the Sanders campaign held a national conference call on Veterans' Issues with Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, Manker and VFB Senior Advisor, Colonel Gordon Sumner, U.S. Army, ret. Later, Vets for Bernie organized veterans to take part in a New York Cityphoto session in support of Sanders' candidacy.
On April 22, the Sanders campaign held a military rally for veterans at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, with help from Vets for Bernie.
VetsForBernie.org
Through a website, Vets for Bernie published over one hundred original news-style blog posts, which were shared more than one million times on social media. Most popular posts included:
Who Are Bernie Sanders’ Top Contributors? Active Duty Army, Navy, & Air Force, That’s Who
Bernie Sanders Remains Top Choice of U.S. Troops
The Lack of Military and Veteran Support for Hillary Clinton Should Concern You
Individual outreach blogs, including:
95 Year-Old WWII Vet Voted for Bernie Sanders Today in Mississippi
Meet Mark Maxey, the Bearded Man at Bernie’s OKC Rally
Meet Leslie Lee III – Writer, Teacher, Bernie Sanders Supporter
Police Chief: Bernie Is the First Candidate to Ever Offer and Pay Police Overtime
And at least one instance of serious journalism in a blog that analyzed video and photographic evidence to effectively debunk false accusations being leveled at the time that the Sanders campaign shared photographs from the Civil Rights Movement that weren't of Sanders, when in fact they were.
Post-election and beyond
Along with other grassroots associations, Vets for Bernie continues to organize military veterans across America. Democratic candidate Tim Canova earned the first official endorsement from VFB in his first unsuccessful bid to unseat Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Vets for Bernie advises progressive candidates for Congress on military issues, most recently in drafting the veterans platform for Stephen Jaffe, candidate for California's 12th Congressional District.
