In their account of the 1988 presidential campaign, Whose Broad Stripes and Bright Stars: The Trivial Pursuit of the Presidency, Jack Germond and Jules Whitcover claimed that Republicans have more places to “warehouse” their political operatives than do Democrats, i. e., corporations and think tanks where they can work between elections.
Well, perhaps times have changed, but they missed one “safe space” that Democrats have always had more access to than Republicans—academia. Moreover, the Democratic Party’s reliance on academe runs just about from the cradle to the grave, an arc some might view as, at least, philosophically consistent.
The Ivory Tower not only provides a rest home for retiring Democrats and a refuge for unemployed ones but also serves to incubate budding party stars. The latest issue of Terp, a magazine published by the University of Maryland, brags on a dozen alumni, only two of whom were Republicans—Carly Fiorina and former U. S. Representative Thomas Kindness.
The others are or were Democratic Party stalwarts:
- S. House Minority whip Steny Hoyer, D-MD;
- S. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-MD;
- S. Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-MO;
- S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-IL;
- S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-CA;
- Former U. S. Senator Millard Tydings, D-MD;
- Former U. S. Senator Joseph Tydings, D-MD (yes, they’re related);
- Former U. S. Rep. William Purington Cole, Jr., D-MD;
- Former U. S. Rep. Tom McMillen, D-MD; and
- Former U. S. Rep. Parren Mitchell, D-MD.
Photo by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com 
Photo by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
