Further evidence that leftists don't think theirs are the
best ideas; they think they're the
only ideas.
From Wikipedia:
An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the reality of society, and who proposes solutions for the normative problems of society.
There are conservatives who do that. Not hard to understand.
I also found this definition from dictionary.com to be especially pertinent:
an extremely rational person; a person who relies on intellect rather than on emotions or feelings.