KEY POINTS:
Finally, John Howard is hero of the revolution.
But unlike the last great youth rebellion of the 1960s, young voters in Australia are turning towards the political right, while their parents are pondering a swing to the left.
The generational about-face, revealed in a survey by social research
consultancy Ipsos Mackay, is the first good polling news to cross the Prime Minister's desk for months.
After surviving an emergency landing aboard an RAAF Hercules in Iraq at the weekend, and forcing the resignation of a second senior member for failing to shed shares in companies affected by his portfolio, Howard is now struggling to convince voters he is still running a tight ship.
Opinion polls in the past few months have shown a consistent plunge in both Howard's standing as preferred Prime Minister and the popularity of his conservative Government.
Last Friday, a new Morgan poll reported support for Labor running at 61 per cent under the two-party preferred vote that determines Australian elections - a 22 per cent lead over the Coalition.
And the latest Reuters Poll Trends, which analyses the three major opinion polls, said personal support for Howard was at its lowest level in 12 years, with Labor sitting on an election-winning two-party preferred lead of more than 16 per cent.
But the Ipsos Mackay survey, reported in the Australian, said the conservative, ageing Prime Minister now has youth on his side.
A series of surveys by social and community organisations has shown that while they are more sexually active than their parents were as youths, are prone to binge drinking, stress, and fears for the future of the Earth, most young Australians share many of Howard's values - marriage and family high among them.
The Ispos Mackay research found strong support for Howard among the under-30s, and that many young voters were either quite happy with his leadership or cared so little about politics there was no interest in a change of Government.
Instead, the pressure for change is coming from their elders and parents - middle-income families and the over-55s who have traditionally been the backbone of Howard's support.
Many aged 40 years and over feared for their children's education, employment, climate change and the cost of housing.
The survey showed the economy remains Howard's greatest strength.
Last year's three interest rate rises were of far less concern than previously believed, although the survey warned this could change dramatically if there was a further rise.
And on a final good note for Howard, the survey found that whatever their views, most voters believe the Prime Minister will pull some last-minute rabbit from the hat to defeat Labor.
They don't call him Lazarus with a triple bypass for nothing.
