Progressive students start new think tank

[davidinalameda]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/02/27/BAG6PBD0I031.DTL

That's the strategy of hundreds of Stanford University students, who are assembling what they call the nation's first student think tank, the Roosevelt Institution, which offers analyses and suggestions on public policy issues.

"We wanted to see new ideas coming from the progressive side of the political spectrum," said institution President Kai Stinchcombe, who is studying for his doctorate in political science. "We sensed that there was sort of a vacuum there. There wasn't really an organized way for us to get involved in the policy process."

Stinchcombe said the decision came partly as a response to the re- election of President Bush in November. Stanford students began discussing the strategy a couple months ago and created a Web site (www.rooseveltinstitution.org), then drew about 400 students to their first public forum this month. Colleagues at Yale University have joined in, while students at Columbia University and Bates College are expected to follow.

[Hugin]

1. Very good!

I'm glad to see it happening!

I hope they make it work.

[Hugin]

2. This is a worthy cause...

It needs to be encouraged. Much of the broadcast power of
the RW lives in it's think tanks.

[pstans]

3. That is awesome

Smart, young people working to shape the country.

[EVDebs]

4. The Republican party is intent on building 'Hoovervilles' while

Dems and progressives are building communities ... maybe we should call those 'Rooseveltvilles' !

The overuse of conservative think-tanks, giving intellectual 'cover' for GOP Chicago-school supply-side globalization tripe policies is well known but little discussed in the media.

Stemming from Nixon's wish to blow up the Brookings Institution during Watergate days, the right wing's lunatic fringe is now apparently 'mainstream'. By presenting logical commonsense and scientifically rigorous work, Roosevelt Institutions will provide the data...if only the media (owned by the right-wingers) will report upon what Roosevelt Institutions produce !

I foresee the need to have the media either infiltrated or alternative media outlets to defeat the Mighty Wurlitzer the right wing echo-chambers counter with.

[Hugin]

5. I'm hoping this actually happens...

I have many questions they could answer.

Time for a little R&D...

[BrklynLiberal]

6. hopee will be reading and hearing a lot about The Roosevelt Inst.

[Merope215]

7. I'm part of this

at the Yale chapter. Hard to know exactly how well it's going to work yet, but we might just get lucky...

[AnnInLa]

8. Hats off to ya! And, good luck

Will be looking forward to seeing you guys on TV and reading your thoughts in the MSM newspapers!

[Merope215]

9. Thanks! I'll try to make DU proud! n/t

[depakid]

10. It's about time

of course, it won't do any good unless the DINO's stop their pandering long enough to listen... and the institute manages to get its spokepersons on the media to counter far right think tank lies.

I rather doubt that will happen. I've yet to meet a right winger I couldn't best is a fair debate on just about any issue- and that's really not saying all that much- only that I've got memory for facts, the education to do the analysis and the rhetorical training to get my points across.

Even if people like that get on, the game will be rigged or they'll be shouted down or bombarded with specious counterfactuals- like what happened when Krugman tried to "debate" O'Reilly.

The more learned among the far right spokespersons know they can't win an honest debate- because their policies are often irrational and unsupported by the evidence. They have to resort to fallacy- and then whine when someone calls them on it.