‘It’s Clear You Haven’t Put Much Effort Into Reporting or Really Even Thinking Deeply’
Regular MSNBC viewers probably recognize Bret Stephens, a conservative New York Times opinion writer who is a climate change denier and offers inane “hot takes” on the issues of the day.
On Thursday he delivered one of his worst “hot takes,” a “Warning to the Democrats” that the midterm results show they must start “building real bridges to the other America.”
In reality, the midterm results right now are the largest blue wave since Watergate, with more races yet to be called but leaning toward Democratic candidates.
Stephens was schooled and pilloried Thursday, especially by political reporters and those who actually know what they’re talking about.
Among them, Thursday night, was prominent and well-respected statistician Nate Silver. In a rare direct rebuke – Silver does not frequently engage – the FiveThirtyEight founder chastised Stephens.
“Sorta enjoying thinking about Bret Stephens knowing deep down how dumb his hot take was and cringing a little bit every time Dems win an additional House seat (we’re now projecting they’ll finish with +37 or so),” Silver tweeted.
Stephens, in yet another bad decision, decided to retaliate, actually calling Silver, a relatively demure, shy, nerdy guy, a “Twitter troll.”
Silver has been named by TIME as one of The World’s 100 Most Influential People, and is famous for his near-perfect models predicting the 2008 and 2012 elections.
He hit back, saying he doesn’t “have tolerance for BS.”
Another political scientist, David Darmofal, summed up the problem with Bret Stephens and The New York Times opinion pages in general:
The question now, which many are asking, is this: Why does Bret Stephens have a job in journalism, MSNBC and The New York Times?
Image by Internet Week New York/INSIDER IMAGES/Gary He via Flickr and a CC license