Asked to sum up, Professor Giddens said and I have this almost verbatim that the seminar showed there was a new cultural sensibility emerging, based on the collapse of neo-liberalism and post-modernism, and the start of global cosmopolitanism.

ECONOMIST: Ideology

But the president also understood that as liberalism became more fashionable among the young, so conservatism was gaining momentum as a counter-cultural force of its own.

CNN: Can today's gonzo GOP celebs help Romney win?

In a fascinating essay for The American Spectator's website, Jeffrey Lord attributes the Democrats' problems (or "The Death of Liberalism, " the title of Spectator editor Bob Tyrrell's new book) to a cultural shift that took place after JFK's assassination.

WSJ: What's at Stake in Wisconsin