LISTEN NOW: DNC Proposes New "Loyalty Oath" to BERN Independents

image
Published: 14 Jun, 2018
1 min read

In my latest interview, I spoke with Nick Braña, who served as the National Outreach Coordinator for Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign and is the founder of the Movement for a People's Party, a group of former Bernie supporters, progressive independents, and disenchanted Democrats who believe a new party is needed.

READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Amid Explosive DNC Revelations, Progressives Revolt Against Party

Nick and I talk about the latest rule approved by the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee that would establish a new "loyalty oath" for presidential candidates seeking the party's nomination. The rule requires any candidate seeking the nomination to “affirmatively demonstrate that they are faithful to the interests, welfare, and success of the Democratic Party of the United States.”

In other words, candidates who might have views that run contrary to the party platform or think there needs to be changes to how the party operates would not be allowed to run in 2020. Rather than open their tent to candidates like Bernie Sanders and other candidates who may not always toe the party line, their double downing on the "party loyalty before voters" policies of the past.

ALSO READ: Maine Voters Lift Up Democracy; Democratic Party Pulls It Down

Nick and I also talk about the role Bernie Sanders played in the party's decision to even consider such a rule change, as Sanders didn't challenge the party after it marginalized his campaign and disenfranchised millions of voters.

"You cannot move forward without addressing those things that caused the primaries to be stacked in the first place," Nick says.

Listen to the full podcast above. Enjoy!

IVP Donate

Photo Credit: Noah Mascarin / shutterstock.com

You Might Also Like

Why Mathematicians Love Ranked Choice Voting
Why Mathematicians Love Ranked Choice Voting
The Institute for Mathematics and Democracy (IMD) has released what may be the most comprehensive empirical study of ranked choice voting ever conducted. The 66-page report analyzes nearly 4,000 real-world ranked ballot elections, including some 2,000 political elections, and more than 60 million simulated ones to test how different voting methods perform....
11 Dec, 2025
-
4 min read
California flag
Quirk Silva’s Exit Sparks a High-Profile Orange County Clash, Where Independent Voters Control the Math
California’s 67th Assembly District stretches across parts of Orange and Los Angeles counties, connecting some of the region’s most dynamic and diverse suburban communities. It includes the entire cities of Cerritos, La Palma, Hawaiian Gardens, Artesia, Buena Park, and Cypress, as well as portions of Fullerton and Anaheim....
18 Dec, 2025
-
6 min read
Donald Trump
Trump Signs Order to Reclassify Cannabis to Schedule III
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Thursday that his administration will officially move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act, a decision that marks the most significant change to U.S. drug policy since the early 1970s....
18 Dec, 2025
-
2 min read