You think I haven't?
>Ask some of your buddies in academia what they think of Castro, or Hugo Chavez.
I've had those conversations. In general what do they think? Not much. Howard Dean or Russ Feingold, sure. Castro, no, and Chavez, especially no (most academics who've given him any thought see what an authoritarian blowhard he is, I'll grant you now and then find a bit of romanticism towards Cuba -- but again, not much).
Sorry, Tom, but among college professors run of the mill Volvo-driving democrats outnumber Che and Chavez admirers by a huge, huge margin. I'll grant that among radical kooks on college campus, "Left" kooks outnumber "Right" kooks twenty to one, but there are other rocks to look under to find kooks of the Right.