What does intimidation have to do with anything? He's just pompous. He's smart and educated, but that doesn't mean he's not full of himself. And I don't find him particularly entertaining.
I used to be a fan of Neil until I saw how he conducts himself in person. He is not only arrogant but also needlessly cruel. I watched him make a girl break down and cry in front of an auditorium full of hundreds of people by ridiculing her and the question she asked during the q and a part of his visit. It was intentional and unnecessary. And he even made condescending remarks referring back to her after later questions so it wasn't like he was accidentally too heavy handed with his initial dismissal of her.