The Tinder Campaign for Bernie Sanders

Tech Insider

Yes, you did read that right, I did say a Tinder campaign for Bernie Sanders. Many of you are going to be thinking what the heck but it's true, in this modern age of social media some of the Democratic candidate's supporters have been trying to convince people to vote for him using the dating and hook up app.

As politicians get on board with social media, there had to be another way for volunteers to help their candidates that the professionals couldn't do better. Sharing gifs, videos and memes are one thing but we're all so used to them at this point that they don't have such a strong affect. And as one of the campaigner's herself put it:

"With Tinder, it connects you to another person and they’re looking to talk"

That is why, as unusual as this method of campaigning sounds, it works. Even if someone isn't interested in what you want to talk about, it's going to grab their attention. If you're not interested in politics then it might seem like spam to you but if you are then it could spark an honest debate, or you could find the answers to questions that you didn't know how to ask elsewhere.

Bernie Sanders' Dank Convos | Facebook

The only problem with a technique like this is that some people do just assume you're a spammer or a bot. The staff of Tinder says they don't mind people using the app to talk politics but don't spam. Basically the ideal way to do this would be to personalise your conversation. Say hi, see how they are and then maybe ask whether they want to talk about Bernie or whatever political candidate you're trying this for. That way you might get some sort of clue as to how they'll respond or have something to say that you might be able to tie into the question. If you're talking to someone else in university then you're going to want to bring up student loans in relation to your candidate. It can be a positive thing that could lead to a fun and stimulating conversation. As it is more than one user has been blocked from Tinder for spamming users with introductions like  this:

Bernie Sanders' Dank Convos | Facebook

You have to admit that some of the spam conversations look like fun though. Two of the blocked users have had their accounts restored though so even if you do get reported a lot, it won't be a permanent thing.

What should really be noted is that this is a way of campaigning that only volunteers can do. If a professional was to start doing so then it would appear tacky and probably would wind up being a bot. That's more likely to lose people votes than anything a volunteer can do. But if you want to show your support for a candidate in a fun and personal way then why not try Tinder? With collections of shared posts on sites like Tumblr and Facebook and previews of people even trying to convince their family or people on Omegle, it looks like there is a lot to do and a lot of inspiration. Just remember that if you're using Tinder don't be afraid to befriend any kindred spirits just because you met them through a campaign.


Rosina Brooker

Rosina is a Songbird rookie with a degree in Creative Writing. She's trying to focus on her novel on the side but is hoping that Content Writing will turn out to be a good career choice in the mean time! Follow her @RosinaAtSMF

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