Both. The US has a lot of willfully ignorant and stupid people. Take a look at the following Bonnie and Clyde had back in the day. How is it that people who were robbing banks and murdering people gained a following? It's a good thing they weren't throwing money changers out of the local temple, or they'd be saints by now.
If you get to thinking you’re a person of some influence, try ordering somebody else’s dog around.