For some blue-state conservatives who honed their political skills by continuously debating liberal peers, mingling with attendees presented unique challenges. Jesse Eiseman and Tyler Trumbach, who came from Columbia University to attend the conference, interrupted a spirited debate over the fall of the Roman Empire to complain to The Daily Beast about the anti-intellectual bent of fellow conservatives at CPAC.
“They have an opinion, but they don’t give evidence to back it up, they don’t use logic,” Trumbach said.
Eiseman added, “In a lot of ways I feel closer to left wing intellectuals. … I love the populists, I agree with them on many things, but I am scared of what happens when people stop thinking.”
The two quickly took to hiding their name badges showing their college in order to avoid ridicule after speakers trashed academic elites onstage. “There are a lot of anti-Ivy Leaguers around,” Eiseman said.
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