ISI's Collegiate Network had a reception Thursday at the University Club, after which the crowd adjourned to Fado.
It so happened that I had just finished editing Ralph Hallow's article for Friday's paper about efforts of conservative movement leaders to find the "next wave" of young leadership. Mr. Hallow quoted a remark by David Keene of the American Conservative Union:
Mr. Keene said the problem in finding young leadership is that "the so-called conservative movement of today consists of many young people attracted to politics by one or another politician but without a lot of thought about the philosophical underpinnings that united previous generations of conservatives."Thursday evening at Fado, I found myself talking to Luke Sheahan of FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) and mentioned Mr. Keene's point.
Are young conservatives really so lacking in "philosophical underpinnings"? Mr. Sheahan answered by telling about meeting with conservative students at one campus who wanted to form a club. Mr. Sheahan said he suggested calling the club the Friedrich Hayek Society or the Milton Friedman Society.
The reaction? Blank stares. "They had no idea who they were," Mr. Sheahan said.
Perhaps Mr. Keene is onto something ....
--Robert Stacy McCain, assistant national editor, The Washington Times
