I think that it has happened before: Hitler's Brownshirts considered themselves to be an elite, even intellectual. But in reality they were just thugs. Soviet Russia's elites were similarly handicapped. Maureen is just a commissar for the socialist street gangs.
Reminds me of a fascinating quote from a Chinese Com government during the "International Woman's Conference" held in China during the Clinton administration.
The govt official said that they were studying Hillary's speechmaking method to understand her power and success. They concluded: her trick was to never actually make any arguments -- just state conclusions that were all already accepted as self-evident by her audience. (They found that interesting and perhaps admirable, and to be emulated).