Columnist Suzanne Fields is all in a tizzy because of a study showing that 72% of all college faculty members are liberal. She goes on to note that this proves a statistical hiring bias on the part of universities. And somewhere along the way, the hippie culture gets blamed for having grown up into the current crop of professors.

But wait a minute… aren’t these the same hippies that grew up to be today’s corporate tycoons, conservative politicians, and talk show radio hosts? Noting that there are a lot of liberals in academia and concluding it is the result of a hiring bias is a lot like noting that most people sleep in pajamas and concluding that jammies make you sleepy.

Now I can’t prove this postulate either, but it is also possible that those with higher academic aptitude are attracted to liberal philosophies. After all, there were numerous polls prior to the last election showing a direct correlation between educational levels and support for John Kerry. Could it be that people who are prone to thoughtful introspection and intellectual pursuits have trouble getting behind the conservative “mind-control” policies bent on restricting personal freedoms? Might those people not find short sighted initiatives which shift burdens to future generations somewhat distasteful? Perhaps they have a mind’s eye for seeing through the Rove-ian sophistry and the Fox News chicanery.

…but I suppose I shouldn’t expect Ms. Fields to think too hard about this stuff. After all, she is a Conservative.