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On the left, the College Democrats are treated like shit, the think tanks do approximately nothing to help their young research assistants move on to bigger things, the junior staffers on the Hill get no support and encouragement to stay involved in politics, and in general no one seems to give a damn whether or not there will be a next generation of professional progressives.
My perception is that there are a lot of people who see the whole situation as a zero sum game -- any job, or salary, or any sort or props which someone else gets is that much less turkee for you. Of course it doesn't have to be this way.