E. J. Dionne Jr. makes a point:

The conventional wisdom on certain subjects is so deeply rooted that no amount of evidence disturbs its hold. That's how it is with those dreary predictions that young Americans just won't vote.

Since the late 1960s, the same chorus has been heard from election to election: The young don't care. They're disengaged. They're too wrapped up in their music, their favorite sports and their parties to take an interest in politics. Predicting that the young will vote in large numbers is like saying the Cubs will finally win the World Series.

And bast knows that sports analogies are perfect and team curses never lie, but young people can be just as smart as the old folks once in a while.

Frankly, you don't need to be all that bright to see the road we're on.