At the time of this writing almost two-thirds of respondents voted they do not think Larry Williams is a charlatan. Fortunately for us, Larry himself apparently participated in this thread, under the user name "larrywms."
Here are some conclusions that I think we can reasonably draw from this thread. Apart from the votes, which speak for themselves, let us look at the caliber of conduct and content of the typical Williams apologist. With few exceptions, and there have been some, I think an objective observer would consider the typical Williams apologist to be decidedly obtuse and blunt. When pointed questions were raised, larrywms himself responded with platitudes and misdirection, which a reasonably sharp mind could easily see though, and would be justifiably insulted by.
However, Larry's proponents ate it up with a smile. If nothing else, they seem to collectively lack the capacity for objective, critical analysis and assessment, and, dare I say, introspection. They may be outstanding traders even, but I doubt it. I'm guessing they're "just almost there," and that Larry's guidance will get them over the edge "very soon now." Not unlike the seminar attendees described in the article posted in another thread:
http://elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&postid=1003736&highlight=larry+williams#post1003736
And so, rather than attempt to legitimately take apart a well-constructed argument, they opted to ridicule cold logic and ignore the rank smell of what they hold dear. However, the argument and all its implications don't go away. Holding on to a bad trade comes to mind. Is it a matter of fear? Is it bad judgment? Or is one perhaps contributing to the other? Surely the dots are not so distantly apart, and even the NFA sought to give them clarity.
And so, when nearly two-thirds of a trading site's respondents choose faith over reason, there can only be one conclusion: opportunity exists.