Many millennials are supporting Bernie Sanders this election season, and now there is a place for them to meet: BernieSingles.com, a dating site for young liberals who are looking to "feel the Bern."
ASU political science sophomore Colten Caudle created the site a few weeks ago after getting the idea from Bernie Sanders Dank Meme Singles and Bernie Sanders Dank Meme Stash, which are two popular Facebook pages for Bernie Sanders supporters.
"I made a post joking about making an actual dating website to speed up matches," Caudle wrote in an email. "After seeing tons of actual interest, I took on the project."
Caudle wrote that he met his current girlfriend through the Bernie Sanders Dank Meme Singles Facebook group, and she became one of his biggest supporters throughout the process of creating the site.
"She was a major motivation for me to take on the project, so that others could connect the way we did," Caudle wrote.
BernieSingles.com has been very successful since its initial launch on Feb. 17. Caudle said it only took one post on the Bernie Sanders Dank Meme Singles Facebook page to make the site go viral. The site even had to shut down multiple times due to the extreme growth.
Caudle said he did not expect the site to become nearly as popular as it has.
"It was very surprising to see everyone join the site so fast," he wrote.
The site has acquired over 7,500 members so far, including many members outside of the U.S.
Daniel Isaksen said he is a proud Bernie Sanders supporter who uses the site from his home in Norway. He said he found the site through the Bernie Sanders Dank Meme Stash Facebook page.
Though he is not American, Isaksen said he still actively follows U.S. politics because of the influence the country has on the rest of the world.
"Bernie Sanders is a democratic socialist, and I happen to live in a democratic socialist country," Isaksen said. "I believe that you Americans also deserve well-spent money, also known by Republicans as 'free stuff.'"
Although Isaksen has flirted with some Bernie Singles members, he said he mainly uses the site to make friends with fellow Sanders supporters.
Nathan Bradham, another Bernie Singles member, said he has supported Sanders since he first announced his candidacy, and he found Bernie Singles through the Bernie Sanders Dank Meme Singles Facebook page.
Bradham said he would recommend the site to other Sanders supporters.
"I like the site," Bradham said. "It's pretty neat, meeting a lot of new, interesting, like-minded people."
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