What has always bugged me about the guy, and which I did not harp on because it seemed subjective, is his demeanor. The condescending smirk, the appearance of arrogant patronizing. This tends to confirm what my gut has always told me about him - that while he might be on the right, he is very much an example of Orwell’s pigs being more equal than the other animals. It tracks with his apparent theological idiosyncrasies and inability to develop working relationships with other senators. W may have been stating simple, unvarnished truth, as much as his swipe offended me at the time.
"When you see him across the room at a party you want to walk over and slap him"
I agree. He just rubs me the wrong way. It is visceral with me. I have similar feeling with a couple of other politicians and family and friends.