Posted on 11/17/2006 4:36:49 AM PST by King of Florida
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Lawrence W. Reed is one of those people with so much passion for an unusual line of work that he invented a new occupation, and it has helped shape the conservative movement from here to the Himalayas.
Mr. Reed runs a conservative think tank school. Twice a year, ideological allies from across the globe travel to his program at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, Mich., to study the tricks of the idea-peddling trade. Policy institutes have been central to a national organizing strategy that has long won the right a reputation for savvy, and state-level versions are growing in number and clout.
Pushing causes like lower taxes, less spending and school choice plans, they have offered conservatives a base of influence independent of electoral politics. Indeed, after the Republican losses in the midterm elections, many conservatives said this carefully tended world — of research organizations, single-interest groups, foundations and publications — was vital to the movement’s revival.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The hectoring nanny-state moralizers need to stand down. Fast.
Ideas... this is where movements begin. Ideas like these being promoted and exchanged by think-tanks around the globe... Think of where the country was in 1964... how far to the LEFT. Then came Ronald Reagan -- a one man think-tank doing his 3 minute radio scripts for a couple of years addressing every issue imaginable. And then came the other conservative think tanks: Heritage, Cato, AEI, Hudson, Atlas... And these ideas have been spreading like a wildfire.
Ideas... this is where movements begin. Ideas like these being promoted and exchanged by think-tanks around the globe... Think of where the country was in 1964... how far to the LEFT. Then came Ronald Reagan -- a one man think-tank doing his 3 minute radio scripts for a couple of years addressing every issue imaginable. And then came the other conservative think tanks: Heritage, Cato, AEI, Hudson, Atlas... And these ideas have been spreading like a wildfire. The GOP would be well served to re-embrace the thoughts and principles coming out of these conservative think-tanks. Ideas work -- and the left's ideas have been shown to be hopeless.
This is rhe most meaningful part of this article!! Doers get the job done!
Nancee
Maybe - but they need to reach the masses of the great unwashed. Being published in emails and specialized publications won't reach the Oprah crowd.
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