Pundits versus probabilities

… The most well-known quantitative analyst of politics is Nate Silver, whose FiveThirtyEight blog now appears on the New York Times website. …

Unfortunately, Silver has become the target of a vitriolic backlash from innumerate pundits whose market dominance is under threat as well as ill-informed conservative commentators who think Silver is somehow skewing the polls for partisan reasons.

The problem with these objections is best summarized by Elspeth Reeve’s headline at The Atlantic Wire: “People Who Can’t Do Math Are So Mad At Nate Silver.” [cont.]

Brendan Nyhan, Dartmouth (Columbia Journalism Review)

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