In an absolutely fascinating article, the well-known Times investigative journalist, David Kirkpatrick, reported on the 15 or so young leaders of the Egyptian revolt. To a high degree, Kirkpatrick found that the leaders tend to be well-educated, wired and shrewd professionals, 30 years of age or younger, mostly lawyers and physicians.
The Egyptians have been especially smart at planning and marketing the protests, as well as avoiding the police. For example, before each protest they leaked a false lead to throw off the police. According to Kirkpatrick, all the leaders aspire to a Western-style constitutional democracy, where civic institutions are stronger than individuals.
Inevitably, the group has to deal with deep divides, especially over the role of Islam. Amusingly, when one of the leaders was asked whether he could imagine an Egyptian president who was a Christian woman, he paused:
If it is a government of institutions, I don't care if the president is a monkey.