Nick Brana is the founder of the Movement for a People’s Party. Its goal is to build a strong coalition of voters, progressive groups and politicians to divert power away from the nation’s established political factions, Brana says don’t adequately represent the people.
"Progressive leaders inside the Democratic Party say that the internal rift between progressive members and the party establishment has only grown in the past year and is stretching the party to its breaking point. When a major party coalition grows so tenuous, it heralds a national political realignment. MPP is on the cutting edge of that realignment. We have the mission and the organization. The time is now for a people's party," Brana told IVN in a statement.
But let’s back up. Brana was the National Political Outreach Coordinator for the Bernie Sanders campaign.
ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Amid Explosive DNC Revelations, Progressives Revolt Against PartyYou might ask yourself how a person can spend an entire election cycle reaching out to super-delegates, pressing them for support of a candidate running on the Democratic ticket who is aggressively calling out their party for not representing voters. Well, let’s just say he’s a person with sincere convictions who can balance idealism with pragmatism.
Nick says Movement for A People's Party is ready to offer groups who are breaking away from the duopoly a place to reside. How can he build such a coalition in time for the 2020 presidential election? Expanding on Bernie Sanders’ 2016 platform, the movement has set out 24 principles which will guide it through coalition-building efforts.
The first chapter meeting recently kicked off in Portland, Maine, and MPP has established alliances with state representatives there who quit their respective parties to run as independent candidates. "Party officials and elected officials are leaving the Democratic Party and current leaders tell us they're ready to join in the founding of a new party," he says. "Anti-corruption has been a signature focus of each of the successful new parties that have risen abroad and is the issue of strongest agreement among Americans. The corporate parties will be powerless if we make elections a referendum on corruption."
Relationships have also been developed with Maine People’s Alliance, Southern Maine DSA, and current State Treasurer and independent candidate for governor, Terry Hayes.
Also, Nick’s new livestream interviews, MPP TV, feature leaders of the Progressive movement. You can catch it most Wednesdays at 6 pm ET. Also, MPP’s Thursday national phone conferences are now shared via podcast (The People's Party Podcast) on iTunes and Podbean.
Nick sat down with IVN at the Unrig the System summit in New Orleans to talk about the Donor Class, the value of Millennials and his views on a new nationally viable third party. Check out the interview above.