The problem for social conservatives on university campuses

Is that they are often marginalized not only by the dominant liberal culture within academia but also by the libertarian chic prevalent among many on the collegiate Right. This piece by Derek Beckebede over at Public Discourse highlights the problem:  I'm Socially Conservative, in College, and Need a Party. Beckebede calls on Republicans to reach out to young people to convince them of the truth of conservatism regarding social issues rather than simply abandoning the defense of traditional marriage or the right to life:

After three years at the helm of Harvard’s student conservative movement, I know that the campus is not only liberal but also hostile to conservatives, especially social conservatives. As the Republican Party and fellow conservatives try to appeal to young voters, they must not ignore the university environment in which many of those voters live and learn. The actual state of America’s universities is worse than most Republicans realize, not because conservatives’ efforts have failed but because they have not wholeheartedly been tried. Instead of abandoning fundamental portions of the Republican platform, it’s time for the party to embrace a new one: outreach to America’s universities on social issues.

Read it all.  Conservatives abandon the educational venue at their own peril.