How do we turn this place into a think tank? [View all]
Democratic Underground started in 2001. For many years it was the Internet's premier cat care forum.
In the last couple of years, we've become one of the best labor, civil rights, taxation and economics resources around...and it's starting to get noticed. There were many mentions of DU in the mainstream media during the election. They're noticing. We have the smartest people, the right side of the issues, and credibility. Pat yourself on the back.
Now we need to go all the way and form a public policy institute. Thinking out loud, we will need:
The first thing is to form research teams led by people with masters degrees in economics, public policy or business administration, or doctorates in things like medicine. Just to pick one name, Aristus is an MD and would be good to head a health policy team. Degrees confer legitimacy - important because many of us are self-educated in our fields of expertise. College doesn't necessarily make you smart; how many hundreds of people learned economics from Arthur Laffer? It does give a veneer of legitimacy.
We would need specific projects to work on.
We would need channels to get our work to the public; Rachel Maddow is one, maybe Joe Scarborough.
Are there any well-spoken, super smart, very beautiful DU women living in LA, New York, Atlanta, or the national capitol region? Like it or not, we have to contend with the reality of getting people on TV: great clothes, great hair and Fox Blonde makeup are now required to get you on.camera. You really think SE Cupp would be on television if she wasn't cute? DU women have so much more to offer, but it's got to be packaged properly. Basically, if you are a brainy head-turner and can get to a broadcast center within an hour let us know.
DU would need a folder to store downloadable position papers...we already have the equipment.
I will do the layouts on the papers we create.
We've got momentum. We have cred. And we're adventurers seeking a new adventure. Who's with me?
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