Something that has been trending of late on social media is Ben Shapiro’s controversial interview with BBC journalist Andrew Neil where Shapiro cut short the TV debate. The interview has sparked the question in many leftist circles: Is this the beginning of the end for Shapiro?
Before I detail my response to this question I should add the caveat that I am a supporter of the Intellectual Dark Web (IDW) community where Shapiro resides. If a video appears in my you tube feed with an interview or talk by one of the IDW constituents I normally press the ‘play’ button. I think the IDW has been tainted and misaligned by the ‘modern-left’ to be an ‘Alternative-Right’ soundboard. If one takes a look at the graphic below of the individual political positions of each member I think we can safely discard them being anything which resembles how the modern-left classifies the group:
Now returning to the question, I have a hunch that the interview probably marks the end of a potential political career for Shapiro. Regarding his social network career (his podcast and public opinion), I think he has a lost a huge amount of respect from people who admired his gusto and honesty even if they generally disagreed with his ultra conservative opinions. I would consider myself in that league of soft followers. Obviously it’s all speculative, but I do think that interview has done him a great disservice; the likes of which may not be known until it comes back to bite him real hard if he ever decides to run for public office. I always found his smugness and ‘I’m smarter than you’ lawyer brashness a turnoff, but I was willing to look past it because he did make some good arguments. But these negative traits and his immaturity were on full display. I cannot think of another IDW constituent who would act as poorly (and counter IDW intuitive) as Ben did in that interview.
Ben has since admited that he was ‘destroyed’ in that debate which was to be expected. But how much of a lifeline does that give him and how much more patience remains from moderates who had taken the time to hear him out? In my humble opinion very little on both fronts.
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
A most interesting table above!
My household always referred to Ben Shapiro as “the machine gun”. I guess it’s possible to reload…
Hey Bruce, the table doesn’t list all of the IDW just the most popular players. It is indeed interesting. Until that interview I would have thought also ‘the machine gun’ a most apt description of him. The irony is he cut off a fellow conservative!
Very interesting… I’ve heard him on a few things and I agree with some of his views. I like the chart…
As far as his future…I hope I’m not drifting way off topic
As a society are we quick to judge on one bad outing?… or is one bad enough to judge?
Shapiro has maintained a whole page of gaffs that he has made in the past and since retracted. I think I gave my reasons for why I have lost patience with him and why I thought it could be his undoing if ever he was to embark on a political career. His lack of personal conviction and general maturity was really telling for me. I don’t think Ben has lost much support from his core following, rather it’s the moderates where he might have taken a beating. I would normally say that society can be too quick to judge, like with the Catholic Maga school kids fiasco or the Liam Neeson controversy. But in the case of Shapiro, I think he deserves the outpouring of criticism from this interview. However that’s just my meekly opinion.
I am Mr. Off Topic at times… when I read it…. the question did come to me. I’ve only seen him mostly on blurbs…I have seen a few interviews but nothing like this one. He is a smart guy…I would not have expected this out of him…but I don’t know his history as much.
I don’t think you were off topic at all. You posed a very astute question. Are we as individuals and society too quick to judge someone. People can get swept up by social media circus to outcast / label someone based on insufficient or scanty evidence.
I just wondered what would happen if I was followed around with a microphone all day…would I do or say something I should not? Not only that… get judged on it…for one stupid moment…but I’m not talking about Ben here…he put himself in this position with an interview.
I think society can be forgiving with time and with the truth if you don’t wait too long and make too many. Take Pete Rose…you like baseball…if he would have just admitted at the time…hey…yes I screwed up…I think he would have had an easier time…still trouble but an easier time.
Yes it would appear that the ‘time lag’ in making an Apology or expressing remorse is significant in the public arena. But of course Politics is more implacable and less forgiving than society is.