Basically, Glenn called this objection by Nate Silver with regard to Vox’s habit of stealing stuff ‘When nerds call out nerds.’ Look, I have had my differences with Nate Silver – but he’s the only nerd in this fight. Ezra Klein doesn’t deserve that honorable and venerable title. You need to care about something, to be a nerd. You need to care about something so much that an attack on it is an attack on you. And that your sense of integrity will keep you from allowing that thing to be abused.
I believe that Nate Silver has those things. I do not believe that of Ezra Klein. And yes, I’m making a moral judgment, here.
Ezra Klein cares deeply about telling everyone else what to think.
He cares that he is seen as wise and moral (despite being neither).
He has an affection for Obama that’s somewhat disturbing.
So I don’t think we can fairly say he doesn’t care about anything.
Nerds calling out fake nerds, which we need more of.
More calling out, not more fake nerds. Ambiguity sucks.
Nate Silver was an outstanding, brilliant baseball nerd before he took up political analysis. I can’t think of anything positive Ezra Klein has ever done in his life to compare to Silver’s work in sabermetrics.