Well this could explain a few things about the demographic breakdown of the 2008 election.  Wonder why so many college kids were head-over-heals infatuated with Obama?  Consider:

An unprecedented study that followed several thousand undergraduates through four years of college found that large numbers didn't learn the critical thinking, complex reasoning and written communication skills that are widely assumed to be at the core of a college education.

 

Many of the students graduated without knowing how to sift fact from opinion, make a clear written argument or objectively review conflicting reports of a situation or event, according to New York University sociologist Richard Arum, lead author of the study. The students, for example, couldn't determine the cause of an increase in neighborhood crime or how best to respond without being swayed by emotional testimony and political spin.

Just keep that in mind every time you see the adoring throngs of young people worshipping at the altar of "The One." 

I've always heard people say how the idealism of youth typically provokes most young people into being liberal in their mindset.  But I've always wondered how critical thinking doesn't somehow counteract that.  Now I know.