In midtown Manhattan, I find myself in a busy beer hall full of holiday revelers. From off in the back, a raucous and cacophonous cheer suddenly rises up from a group of rabble rousers. "Bernie!" they yell, tipping their large mugs in honor of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a politician who galvanized many during his failed bid to capture the Democratic nomination. But this party, which is a farewell "swan song" of sorts, is the last of its kind to bring together long-time political veterans of "Team Bernie." There's an air of nostalgia in the room, but also a degree of uncertainty since it's by no means clear what lies ahead for the local activist set.
Earlier in the day, some party revelers had attended a conference held by New York Progressive Action Network, a statewide group which is trying to find its political footing. Does NYPAN have "legs," as a possible successor network to the Bernie Sanders campaign, or will it come and go like many other New York groups on the liberal circuit? It's difficult to say, since Bernie himself hasn't really stepped up to the plate when it comes to forming a coherent, post-electoral political movement, and this shifts the burden over to volunteers themselves, who must figure out not only the overall aims but also structure of any new group.
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