I was at George Washington University for the YAF confab and the kids I spoke to seemed mostly sensible to me. Yes there were some hard-core libertarian types with copies of “Atlas Shrugged” under their arms bemoaning Bush’s moderation. They’re supposed to. They’re college conservatives—that’s their job.

I overheard one heated conversation in the Men’s room between a libertarian denouncing the “No Child Left Behind” act and a conservative agree that it was wrong on principle but, pragmatically speaking, not so bad. “But it’s a violation of the Constitution!” the black-clad libertarian kept insisting.

If I were a college student today, I would probably be a “Bush is too squishy! He’s practically a liberal!” poser myself. In fact, when I ponder Bush’s prescription drug giveaway and amnesty for illegal immigrants, I’m sorely tempted to become one now.

But these kids seemed to have their hearts—and their heads—fundamentally in the right place. The FAR right place.