It is lot more bizzare. I don't understand why he shows up on HN (for me at least) in glowing terms, when he's never sold anything substantive in terms of arguments. What's the appeal? Is he a Ann Raynd type or something? Whatever I have read from him through HN's possibly young crowd, lacks much substance.
Define "terrible public intellectual".
One who is more liable to throw a tantrum and call you a shill than engage in meaningful debate with his critics.