Presidential candidate Rick Santorum set off a firestorm of criticism when he called universities "indoctrination mills" and called President Obama a "snob" for encouraging all Americans to go to college. Is this part of a larger trend toward GOP anti-intellectualism and what's the impact?

"The debasement of the nation's speech is evident in virtually everything broadcast and podcast on radio, television, and the Internet," wrote Susan Jocoby in 'The Age of American Unreason.' "In this true, all-encompassing public square, homogenized language and homogenized thought reinforce each other in circular fashion."

Jocoby, an independent scholar who focuses on American intellectual history, will join The Daily Circuit Friday to discuss her findings on the topic.

Matt Lewis, senior contributor for The Daily Caller, will also join the discussion.

"The populist 'everyman' shtick has consistently outperformed the 'pointy-headed intellectual' brand electorally, leading some to logically conclude that it may not be smart politics to appear too smart," Lewis wrote in The Daily Caller.

VIDEO: Santorum calls Obama a 'snob'

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