The job market is about to get even more crowded for Washington Democrats, as thousands of Obama appointees join the hundreds of Clinton campaign staffers looking for employment.
There’s rarely been less demand for their services.
The Trump tornado is tearing up post-election planning around the Beltway. It’s not just that those 4,000 administration jobs are no longer available to Hillary for America alumni, or that failed Senate candidates like Russ Feingold and Katie McGinty won’t be able to hire their staff on the Hill. There are also the lobbying firms, trade associations and corporate government affairs offices that are pitching senior Obama aides’ resumes into the round file while scrambling to hire operatives with Republican connections.
It’s insult to injury for a generation of young operatives who are still managing their shock and grief from Hillary Clinton’s loss. And for those who want to fight to keep President Barack Obama’s legacy from being erased, there aren’t a lot of places ready to pay them to do it.
Making the navigation of the think tank scene even trickier is the fact that many Democratic think tanks have been tweaking their missions as the Trump Administration moves into Washington.
Moreover, fewer positions are opening for Democrats as many Clinton supporters at think tanks have decided to remain in place for the next four years, hoping for better luck in 2020.
But those that can score a coveted full-time think tank position will find salaries and benefits fairly robust, as money continues to pore into think tanks from corporations and foreign governments.
Nevertheless, the think tank outlook has been getting bleaker, particularly as more people have begun to question the independence of think tank research, the abundant pay-for-play schemes that have clouded think tanks, and the fact that Donald Trump does not seem to care much for think tanks.
