The Rise of the Liberal Think Tank - (Soros & lib billionaires try new "progressive" sales pitch)

REDSTATE.ORG ^ | APRIL 20, 2005 | ERICK

[CHARLITE]

It is the billionaire's folly to think that because something is not successful more money should be spent on the idea. Thus it is with liberal ideas and George Soros's money. The Hill reports that Soros and a few others of the mega-rich elite are raising money to form "progressive" think tanks. Progressive, remember, is code for lefty. George Soros told a carefully vetted gathering of 70 likeminded millionaires and billionaires last weekend that they must be patient if they want to realize long-term political and ideological yields from an expected massive investment in “startup” progressive think tanks. The Scottsdale, Ariz., meeting, called to start the process of building an ideas production line for liberal politicians, began what organizers hope will be a long dialogue with the “partners,” many from the high-tech industry. Participants have begun to refer to themselves as the Phoenix Group.

Rob Stein, a veteran of President Bill Clinton’s Commerce Department and of New York investment banking, convened the meeting of venture capitalists, left-leaning moneymen and a select few D.C. strategists on how to seed pro-Democratic think tanks, media outlets and leadership schools to compete with such entrenched conservative institutions as the Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute and the Leadership Institute.

For years the left has dominated the media and academia and has still had trouble selling its ideas. Perhaps it is not the branding of ideas, but the ideas themselves that are not popular. That the left thinks it has to mimic the right should be a high compliment to the right. At the same time, it is a bit disturbing that the Democrats, who brand the Republicans as the party of the rich, are seeking comfort in the bed of a few multi-millionaires to develop an agenda they intend to sell to the middle class.

The problem the Democrats and the left have is not that they do not have ideas. The problems is that they do have ideas and those ideas are not shared by the majority of Americans. So, what is the left's response? They raise millions from millionaires and try to rebrand their ideas. However, at the end of the day a burning bag of poop is still a burning bag of poop no matter how many lefties spin it as the bright burning light of equality.

[chainsaw]

Soros & lib billionaires may be able to buy a few politicians, but the american people will not sell the country to them.

[gaspar]

At least since 1938 "Progressive" has been the key word for Marxist and Marxist fellow travellers.

[Sonny M]

Among other things Soros and the gang covered John Podesta in lucre to build his Center for American Progress, but in contrast to the Heritage Foundation (and York helpfully provides the reader with comparative lists of their output) Podesta's hastily-assembled outfit simply churned out masses of rancid talking points and juvenile hit-pieces.

The biggest problems with these liberal think tanks today, is they really don't do any policy work, policy analysis or serious policy research and critique.

Progressive think tanks today are simply Opposition research centers that focus more on massaging and refining and marketing the message then creating or crafting it.

John Podesta is not a wonk, he's an operative. Think Tanks are supposed to be the inventors, Heritage and AEI are essentially there to create policies, they don't give a damn how you sell them. Liberal think tanks are confused, they think of themselves as marketing firms.

John Podesta and his "center for american progress" are defrauding Soros in a sense. Either that or Soros is not just nuts, but stupid. This is like hiring the marketing guy, and putting him in charge or research and development, firing the scientists and dumping the manufacturing department and replacing everybody with advertising guys.....especially when your products that you make are supposed to be actual physical goods.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

I just read Unholy Alliance : Radical Islam and the American Left by David Horowitz, and his point was that with the fall of the USSR leftwingers have no model to defend of a putatively socialist society. And this actually is liberating for leftists, who now simply attack capitalism and the US without any pretense that they have anything better to offer. Pure nihilism, pure destructiveness.

So the bottom line of leftism is revealed - it is infantile rage at a system which is practical and does not provide instant gratification of their fantasy of supremacy over the mere doers who make the world work.

What with all the things run by electricity and gasoline, and all the things made of plastic that we enjoy, and all the modern health care we enjoy (I for one was told by a doctor that if I had been living a century ago the simple procedure I needed wouldn't have been invented yet - and I would have died), the American secretary today wouldn't jump at a chance to live the life of Queen Victoria (1819-1901).

That is the record of practical benefit of the the capitalist system. The only thing a leftist think tank can do is to invent new ways to make their criticisms seem more important than that reality. We here at FR are a think tank in our own right, and if the government doesn't shut us down we'll debunk those "creative" lies as fast at Soros can manufacture them.

[frankiep]

Yep. Just like how they claim that Bush is an illiterate, brain dead moron in one breath then immediately follow it up by claiming that he is a sinister and conniving puppetmaster who has deceived millions for his own profit. All said with a straight face.

[DTogo]

Liberal Think Tank

a.k.a. Septic Tank

[Vince Ferrer]

At least since 1938 "Progressive" has been the key word for Marxist and Marxist fellow travellers.

Karl Marx, 1818-1883

Marxism is a 19th century idea, and Progressives are still pushing it as if the 100 million victims of it in the 20th century never happened.

[syriacus]

Neo-Progs* are reactionaries, who want to resurrect Socialism's "glory" days.

*Neo-progressives, rhymes with Neo-Frogs.

[CHARLITE]

Your whole post is fantastic. I settled on this quote, as summing up what we're all about here........and the power we need to continue to generate against "all enemies, foreign and domestic." (Soros, Kerry, Killery et al)

"That is the record of practical benefit of the the capitalist system. The only thing a leftist think tank can do is to invent new ways to make their criticisms seem more important than that reality. We here at FR are a think tank in our own right, and if the government doesn't shut us down we'll debunk those "creative" lies as fast at Soros can manufacture them."

Thanks so much for your great, thoughtful comments!

Char :)

[SMARTY]

I don't have the positive feeling about Evita that everyone else does. Frankly, THAT leopard has TOO many spots for the American voter! AND, not enough time to change.