Bill Kristol Wrong to Dismiss Young Adults

I caught a segment over at Mediaite of Bill Kristol speaking about gay marriage on The Weekly Standard podcast. He made some interesting comments. At one point, he said the following:

“This kind of pathetic attempt to ‘Oh, my God! Young people especially are liberal, so let’s just rush to cater to them,’ as if they’re gonna respect you if you just embrace the views of some 26-year-old who doesn’t know anything honestly. Can’t adults say ‘You know what, young people are sometimes wrong’?”

Here I’ve spent the last year arguing that 26-year-olds shouldn’t be on their parents’ health insurance because they should be self-sufficient adults, only to see Kristol imply that they’re just a bunch of kids who don’t know anything. With all due respect, he and I will have to disagree on this one.

By the time I was 26, I had two degrees, had lived on my own, had taught college courses, had traveled throughout the United States and to many countries, and had held leadership positions in two industries. I was certainly an adult. And believe me, I had learned plenty.

I also had beliefs, values, and concerns, as well as deep respect for those who took an interest in what I had to say.

If the Republican Party has any intention of growing its support base, its ears should be open to the ideas of young people who are energized, passionate, and committed to the causes they hold dear.

Labeling them as know-nothings isn’t quite the way to go.

Follow Jedediah on Twitter @JedediahBila