Being much too online myself, I have no problem seeing the influence, particularly of anti-liberals like Deneen or Vermeule, who think liberalism and democracy have failed because the system doesn't allow them to compel other people to live in the way they want. 3/

I'm hardly the first to note this, but I think that's why 'weird' worked so well - sure, you could trace Vance's intellectual influences, but no one who doesn't already know is sticking around for that. But "there's something off about this guy - and its bad" people can sense that clearly. 4/