Here's my proposal:

What is needed -- for many young progressives to get a start on good careers in progressive politics -- isn't going to happen. The campaigns and liberal institutions are too self-absorbed to care about the larger good of the progressive movement. They just aren't going to donate scarce dollars towards something as distant and intangible as the future of the progressive movement -- they're focused on what's right in front of them.

What we need is a fund specifically dedicated to giving young progressives a leg up on their careers, because individual progressive organizations do not see this as part of their mission, and they refuse to take risks on young talent. This new organization would simply fund internships at progressive organizations, so campaigns and progressive institutions would get the benefit of having some free extra labor, and the young progressives who participate would get the benefit of working with professionals. Participants would also greatly benefit from being paid, because potential employers are far more impressed by paid positions than volunteer positions. Plus, this would open up progressive political careers to people who aren't willing to couch-surf and/or mooch off of relatives into their thirties.

In addition to funding internships for young progressives, this organization would provide career counseling and networking opportunities, take an interest in the careers of participants and help them achieve their career goals.

One final point: These forms of assistance should not be limited to college students. Contrary to popular belief, there are many extremely intelligent, talented, motivated people out there who do not figure out what career they want until sometime after graduating from college. These people are just as likely to become great progressive leaders as are those who are born knowing exactly what they want to do for a living.

Posted at March 5, 2008 6:25 PM in response to The [dot] Org Boom (Beyond Obama)

Michael, this issue is among the most critical problems in the our country today. Intelligent young people, seeing no opportunity to make a living in progressive thought/politics, have no choice but to seek paychecks elsewhere instead of putting their talents toward winning hearts and minds for progressives.

We want cars and houses and families, and you cannot afford them on minimum wage (or less, which is what canvassers frequently earn). And contrary to what a commenter alleges, there are no opportunities for advancement at paid canvassing firms.

The Republicans put their youth in charge of the Iraqi Provisional Authority, while we tell our youth to fend for themselves.

Whenever progressives get to make hires, they hire experienced workers at high pay levels instead of promising young talent -- every time. When progressives are in charge of budgets, they spend on established consultants. Campaigns and political organizations are so risk averse they will never hire young talent. In order to be considered as a potential hire, you have to have some grandiose-sounding accomplishment (e.g. He registered 10,000 people to vote during the 2004 election cycle). How about just being a smart capable worker with good ideas? How is it possible that those people are considered completely useless?

Currently, you have to be a Rhodes scholar for any progressive institution to give you the time of day. Out of thousands of applicants, we elevate two three stars and congratulate ourselves, giddy over their "potential". I'm sorry but two or three people do not have that much potential no matter how amazing they are. We need to make it possible for scads of young progressives to make a living doing progressive politics, not just two or three Rhodes scholars every year.

Progressive money players need to remove their heads from their asses and recognize that spending a couple thousand on a youth internship is worth it even if the work could have been done more cheaply. Investing in youth in a large scale way is absolutely the only avenue to maintain progressive policies long term. Progressives do not deserve to hold sway over Americans if they continue to turn their backs on the everyday young progressives who could be future leaders.

I take this all very personally. I went to one of the best liberal arts colleges in the country 10 years ago. A year ago, after working as a policy analyst at a government contractor for four years, I decided to pursue a career in progressive policy analysis and advocacy, where my heart has always been. I've spent months volunteering on various campaigns, and have excelled at every task I've ever been given, but no one has offered me a job. There are about a dozen progressive orgs in my area, and positions open up very rarely. I'm confident I'll find paid employment eventually if I wait long enough, but even though I can afford to wait, I'm not going to wait forever. Being successful is important to me, and if I go long enough without being given a chance, I am going to give up. I will go to work for corporate interests, because advocacy is what I'm good at and I am going to do it come hell or high water. They pay well and there's plenty of opportunity.

Progressives have gone for so long with this policy of utter disregard for the careers of young progressives that it is very hard to be hopeful for change. It will take a profound values shift amongst progressive leaders, who are not known for embracing new ideas. If I were Catholic, I'd be praying to Saint Jude about this.

Thanks for bringing this up, Michael. Best of luck with getting anyone to do anything about it.

Posted at March 4, 2008 11:01 PM in response to The Conservative Youth Factory