Where does that power come from?

As I read this article about the rising progressive clerisy, I ask:  where did they get all that power?  The article says that this clerisy has good relations with "... the power structure in Washington, Silicon Valley, Hollywood and Wall Street. …".  In other words, money and government.  Both of which boils down to money.  Their power comes from money.  As for the clerisy itself, it is "An alliance of upper level bureaucrats and cultural elites".  They are one and the same.

Update:

The progressives blamed Bush for everything, including 9-11.  But for a few years there, during the Bush Era, there seemed to be some sanity.  If I may, let me state what I think happened.  During the Clinton years, the nation's security (and economy) was undermined and this set the stage for 9-11.  Then Bush assumed office and 9-11 happened.  For a brief time, the country was with Bush, but the "clerisy" began to undermine him.  Finally, his political support collapsed and then there was the economic meltdown.  The economic meltdown guaranteed Obama's presidency.  What caused the economic meltdown?  Policies that were enacted during the Clinton years.  Those policies enabled easy mortgages to people who couldn't pay them back.  This led to the credit crunch that brought on the Great Recession.  In other words, the "clerisy" blamed Bush for what was in fact, their own fault.  Now that this blame-shifting has succeeded, they are bringing on the next crisis, which they will blame on others once again.  Bottom line: there is no accountability for the clerisy because they control the culture.