College students in blue states have an easy time being liberal. Especially when they spend a prominent amount of free time in coffee shops discussing the horrors of corporate America, capitalism, materialism, etc.

Writers like Noam Chomsky, Michael Moore and Bob Woodward become iconic figureheads for those who have it right, while conservatism quickly evolves into a two-dimensional ideal harbored by followers of a pope or pharaoh, preaching subservience and doublethink to a single unwavering ecclesiastic doctrine.

But upon further thought, I realized that even myself - an environmentalist, semi-socialist, agnostic vegan - found things in common with popular conservative beliefs. And I'm not talking about the obvious things, like Al Gore boring his own PowerPoint presentation.

While the arrogant and judgmental exhortations of evangelist Christians like Pat Robertson and recently departed Jerry Falwell produce in me the same effect as bad Chinese food, they at least have the motivation to campaign for social change. The liberals so common on today's college campuses are given the tools to become educated and ripe with ideas for social change, but young voters remain the most scant demographic at the polls.

Although youth political involvement and activism is on the rise, the passion of "Guns, Gays and God" make conservatives more apt to engage in grassroots campaigns, rather than endlessly spouting idealistic solutions to America's problems and then justifying their inaction by saying the system is forever flawed and unchangeable.

Religious figures' blind and unwavering devotion to illogical beliefs is pitiful. But passion for one's beliefs is something everyone can afford to embrace, as long as we constantly question our beliefs and pursue truth above all else.

Trigger-happy Republicans who encourage valuing the Ten Commandments over the Constitution don't change the fact that the Democratic Party is rightfully known for being unimaginative, defensive and has survived entirely too long on the "not Republican" ticket.

Democrats must outgrow being solely an emergency-response unit to the conservative campaign and put more energy into crafting legislation based on the ideology of their supporters' views. Adapting some form of socialized health care, helping taxes benefit the poor and middle class - even taking more steps to decriminalize marijuana is a good step towards progressive leadership. It might even take care of that apathetic young liberal problem.

President George W. Bush betrayed conservatives. Republicans might have been the embodiment of traditional conservative philosophy back in 2000, but since that time he and other neocons' enlargement of national government, frivolous spending and civil rights intrusion have largely hijacked the party. The president's views on immigration reform also leave a bitter aftertaste for "old school" conservative Bush-voters.

Furthermore, conservatives have a right to monopolize talk radio. Following the destruction of an immigration bill in Congress last month said to have been caused largely by the influence of conservative-dominated talk radio, Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss, suggested reviving an old FCC regulation, called the Fairness Doctrine - a rule implemented in the late 1940s that requires radio stations to show all viewpoints of community issues.

Other Republicans, such as Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., vehemently opposed any possible legislation.

Although Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh turn the stomachs of anyone left of, say, Mussolini, there is currently a plethora of channels and media from which to broadcast. Couple that with conservative radio talk show host Mike Shanin's explanation that small radio stations oftentimes would simply abandon controversial issues in order to avoid spending time and energy to find an opposing side to every viewpoint.

That said, this issue may be a moot point considering this small stir reeks of political mischief, as the only suggestion for this idea came from a Republican, and all of its opponents yelled the word "Democrat."

Christian conservatives, secularist liberals and everyone in between may never agree with each other on everything. But to discount what we do have in common and what we can contribute not only prevents us from working together on those issues where we have common ground, but cuts us off from the simple fact that we're all working toward a happier tomorrow for all humans; not just the like-minded ones.