Why Was Charlie Kirk So Popular Among Young Conservatives in the US?

He was a harbinger and spokesman for a youthful right as progressivism became more institutionally dominant and uptight.

- Ross Douthat

Conservatism on college campuses has traditionally mixed tweedy intellectualism, shock-value provocation and ruthless training for future GOP operatives. All of these forms — and I say this with familiar affection — have tended to attract nerds and dorks and oddballs, campus outsiders, the inherently uncool.

Mr. Charlie Kirk, murdered on Sept. 10 talking to college kids at Utah Valley University, built his career and reputation organizing a different kind of campus conservatism — fun-loving, masculine, rowdy, mainstream, even faintly cool. He seemed like a guy who would be popular on campus, who would be invited to the good parties, who would have friends outside of political activism, who wouldn’t just show up in a bow tie plotting how to take over the Young Republicans.