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Parker: Why millennials may be conservatives at heart

FILE- In this June 15, 2017, file photo, people walk inside the Oculus, the new transit station at the World Trade Center in New York. Getting your credit score today is easy, just turn to your bank, credit card issuer or one of the many apps and websites out there. That means millennials, unlike their parents, have the advantage of early insight into their financial profiles. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File) FILE- In this June 15, 2017, file photo, people walk inside the Oculus, the new transit station at the World Trade Center in New York. Getting your credit score today is easy, just turn to your bank, credit card issuer or one of the many apps and websites out there. That means millennials, unlike their parents, have the advantage of early insight into their financial profiles. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)

By Kathleen Parker / Washington Post Writers Group June 29, 2019 4 min read

WASHINGTON – Several current trends among millennials do not bode well for Democrats. Indeed, they suggest a greater affinity for (many) Republican policies, notwithstanding a dislike for the GOP’s leadership.

Dare I say it: These trends may suggest a gradual migration toward traditional values and conservatism.

Hear me out.

My reading of various recent studies, stories and reports about young Americans (18-34) reveals a decline in the following: motherhood, marriage (down from 59% in 1972 to 28% in 2018), sex, birthrates, faith, happiness (especially among young men), and longevity.

In the good-news column, abortion rates are also in decline – and friendship is up.