To quote LucasFilm's Jim Ward, "This is not a democracy."
The "older" fans made him what he is today, so the least he could do is show some respect. At this point I think he's so unwilling to say he screwed his own franchise, he resorts to poor excuses and lame statements. He's probably so used to having his butt kissed at Lucasfilm by yes-men and ILM lackeys 24 hours a day, he can't take constructive criticism anymore.
I don't think it's the fans who have the problem, after all, it was Lucas who forgot largely who his target audience was, namely the people who grew up with the original trilogy. At least they're the ones smart enough to know he's been pulling the PT stories out of his ass for the past 5 years or so, making most of it up as he went along.
His repeated assertions that Star Wars is for kids is total bunk. The OT appealed to all audiences, and it never really pandered down to a child's humor level (can you say poodoo jokes?). The Ewoks were cute but I didn't find them so awful as to induce groans every time I saw them. I remember being there in 83' in the theatre and people were cheering, Ewoks and all. Now we're stuck with awful characters such as Watto and alien pod-race commentators.
Lucas is like someone with strong body odor, who can't smell his own stench. Everyone else gags while he goes happily on his way because he's too naive to see how bad he's smelling it up.
Personally, I can't see why the older fans don't make a stand and cast votes against his revisionist garbage by not buying what he's selling. The people who complain and yet give Lucas their hard earned cash make me sick.
Unmolested OT forever, Prequels never took place. That's my stance.
-G