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....they are groomed to be shallow and thoughtless ...

Isn't this the conundrum we face in a nutshell? Young people today are bombarded by messages that reek of shallowness and thoughtlessness, and so become that. Liberalism is a natural fit to that, conservatism isn't. If it's a choice between easy love and tough love, you know what most people are going to choose.

Poster LS suggests that we try a different package for a different message and there is merit in that, but even in a more attractive package, it is still a tough sell. At its heart, the conservative message is that it is up to the individual to achieve success on his/her own, and work hard to get there. While many may say they are in for that, my sense is the average voter really isn't, in their heart of hearts. So when some smooth-talking teleprompter-reading liberal shyster comes along (remind you of anyone?), they'll buy into that fraud heart and soul. Which makes any turnaround even harder.

Sorry to sound pessimistic, but I have been following politics for the majority of my sixty-something years on this Earth, and I really have sensed a fundamental shift in the sentiment of the electorate, probably going back to when we voted out a decent man in George H. W. Bush for a liar and fraud and reprobate in the persona of Bill Clinton. As with alcoholics, sometimes you have to hit bottom before you can climb back up. I don't think we've hit bottom. A majority of voters now look to "the government" for answers and solutions, never realizing that in fact "the government" is them.

I understand your pessimism, chimera.

Fortunately, I live in Texas. I went to see Atlas Shrugged two nights ago. There were over 200 people in the theatre, and I saw at least a dozen under the age of 21.

I took my wife and two sons (21 & 9). I was a bit surprised, because I had absolutely gone Shrugged crazy in the weeks leading up to the flick:

I bought several shirts bearing Atlas themes: Galt's Gulch, Akston's Diner, Danneskjold Repossessions.

For my wife and daughter, I gave them a "Liberty Bracelet" forged from Rearden Metal.

For my 7 MO grandson, a onesie that says "I 'heart' Dagny". After seeing the movie, I'm looking for an adult T-shirt with the same expression.

We all loved the movie. My oldest son is taking his girlfriend to see the movie.

The ending of Part I was brilliant, perfectly capturing Dagny's anguish upon viewing the enormity of Wyatt's Torch.

I'm around these "shallow and thoughtless" kids five days a week, 2/3 of the year, every year. They ain't shallow, and they ain't thoughtless. They are CYNICAL if anything. They are waiting for leadership. I do not know why they don't like Palin---I suspect it's in part because of her Paris Hilton-style celebrity---but other than her, they are attracted to people who lead. Yes, they will watch the Osbournes on TV, but that's not really who they listen to.

Virtually all of my Republican students greatly admire Reagan---even before I get to him in my classes. They've all come in with arguments on both sides of the environment and taxes. They often offer new arguments and counterarguments I don't here. Some of them even produce research I haven't seen.

NEVER underestimate youth. We have ceded the entertainment medium precisely because we keep thinking they don't know what they are doing. Wrong. They want to be convinced.