For the last 25 years, the right has made a concerted — and successful — effort to bolster its political and intellectual infrastructure with forward-thinking institutions such as think tanks and PACs. The left has lagged behind every step of the way, but the gap appears to be closing a bit.
The left, particularly since the 2000 election, has realized its deficiencies in this area and has started playing catch-up. The creation of the Center for American Progress is a huge step in the right direction, giving the left a well-funded policy organization with some of the leading figures in American liberalism. The CAP has quickly positioned itself as a serious and respected counterweight to conservative groups such as the Heritage Foundation, Cato, and AEI.
With this in mind, I was also delighted to see that several progressive leaders have created PROPAC to mirror the tactics used so effectively by GOPAC.
Championed by Newt Gingrich during his congressional tenure, GOPAC has done wonders for the Republicans — identifying, recruiting, training, and electing conservative lawmakers at the federal level. Despite GOPAC’s track record, the left was slow to create to similar entity for Dems.
PROPAC is the latest in the drive to create parallel institutions for the left that the right has enjoyed for years. The PAC will apparently start with a limited focus — emphasizing a few key battleground states in 2004 — but with plans to expand in subsequent cycles.
I’ve been complaining for years that the left has been too slow in creating these kinds of groups, but it’s better late than never. PROPAC, welcome to the party.