[W]ednesday could be a big day for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign for president.
His team has planned a nationwide organizers’ meetup in tandem with a live-streamed conference call from the Vermont senator, an independent who is seeking the Democratic nomination.
Sanders’ campaign says more than 3,000 gatherings were planned Wednesday in all 50 states.
According to a news report, the success of Sanders’ early efforts to pull online supporters together into an on-the-ground campaign will come to a head Wednesday, when he addresses the thousands of interested voters in an online address. His message will be beamed to hundreds of small and large house parties and gatherings around the country.
“What we are trying, as part of creating a political revolution, is creating a grassroots movement of millions and millions of people,” Sanders told the Washington Post last week.
“On July 29 of this month, we will be holding what we believe will be the largest digital organizing event in the history of this country. We hope to have tens of thousands of people coming together to determine how they can develop movements in their local community,” he said. If Vermont, New Hampshire and New York are any indication, it won’t be a tough ask.
Within 100 miles of Montpelier, Sanders’ website shows 97 viewing parties have been organized for the 7 p.m. video conference.
Two events in Montpelier, one in a private home and one at Bagito’s Cafe, have registered 77 attendees.
Burlington will be home to at least five get-togethers with 141 registered volunteers, and Brattleboro has four in-person gatherings with 173 registered to attend. In White River Junction, 110 people have signed up for the viewing, which was billed as a BYOB, and a live DJ will be starting at 8 p.m. just following the speech.
Randolph has two meetup events with East Randolph hosting one as well; Waterbury’s gathering has hit its 20-person limit, and Warren and Waitsfield also have gatherings.
In Plattsburgh, New York, a group of 83 supporters will meet at a “North Country NY for Bernie 2016” event and in Saranac Lake, 48 people are meeting up at an art studio to watch the stream. At Dartmouth College, 105 people joined the “Students and Staff for Bernie” group that’s meeting on campus, and 34 others will be at a home-based party in town.
Although great turnout has been shown for the Green Mountain State and beyond, the registration form allows people to attend multiple locations. More than 82,000 people have registered, the campaign said Tuesday.
Sanders will be broadcasting from his home in southwest Washington, D.C., his spokesman said.
No agenda was available online as of Monday, but spokesman Michael Briggs said more information would be released.
President Barack Obama held 4,000 house party-like events in June 2008, just months before his first election, according to Sanders’ campaign website.
