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Why Are Pundits Obsessed With Making Idiotic Predictions?
Medium ^ | 11/23/16 | Michael Tracey

Posted on 11/23/2016 5:10:16 PM PST by markomalley

Have you noticed that ever since November 8, the pundit class has transitioned swiftly from making (terrible) predictions about the election outcome, to making (terrible) predictions about the nature of the coming Trump presidency? Who will he nominate to be Secretary of State? What will he do in his first 100 days? Endless parlor games about predicting how some future event will unfold — these people apparently are capable of doing little else.

They engage in these pointless exercises instead of examining the actual, tangible data before them. They’re stuck in this mode of constant future-guessing, as if that’s their default posture in life. Gazing into their non-existent crystal ball and telling us, the laymen, what’s going to happen next. Why? Many of these same pundits spent literally two years, if not more, trying to forecast how the 2016 election would play out. We’ve now had hard data for a grand total of two weeks. Why not focus on that for awhile, instead of getting enmeshed in this constant daily folly of never-ending guessing games?

Trying to predict the future confers no useful informational value. It’s something that is common practice among fortune-tellers, certain religious zealots, assorted cranks, and pundits. Pundits love to do it because it requires no real work of them, and confers on them a sense of unwarranted expertise, because of course it’s they, the great and almighty, who are equipped with the analytical tools to proffer such awe-inspiring predictions for the edification of us peons.

(Excerpt) Read more at medium.com ...


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1 posted on 11/23/2016 5:10:16 PM PST by markomalley
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To: markomalley

Because it’s a challenge. As Yogi said, “Predictions are hard, especially about the future.”


2 posted on 11/23/2016 5:11:28 PM PST by Pearls Before Swine
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To: markomalley

Because they are idiots?


3 posted on 11/23/2016 5:12:57 PM PST by Mark (Celebrities... is there anything they do not know.? -Homer Simpson)
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To: markomalley
As a part-time pundit, I predict that this will simply stop happening as soon as Trump is inaugurated.
4 posted on 11/23/2016 5:13:23 PM PST by ClearCase_guy (Abortion is what slavery was: immoral but not illegal. Not yet.)
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To: markomalley

Because its there job!


5 posted on 11/23/2016 5:13:54 PM PST by Reily
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To: markomalley

because they are paid to write stuff, so many words a week

you gets what you pays for

if they were not paid, they’d stop writing most of their drivel

its really that simple


6 posted on 11/23/2016 5:14:20 PM PST by faithhopecharity ("Politicians are not born. They're excreted." Marcus Tullius Cicero.)
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To: markomalley

Keep themselves relevant.

Try to prove their brilliance at predicting the future.

Justifying their paycheck.

Smugness.

.....


7 posted on 11/23/2016 5:14:33 PM PST by Secret Agent Man ( Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: markomalley

The media is supposed to tell us what happened, not speculate on the future.


8 posted on 11/23/2016 5:14:42 PM PST by donna (The media is supposed to tell us what happened, not speculate on the future.)
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To: markomalley

99% of these twits should be turned off and shunned for the mentally disturbed people that they are.


9 posted on 11/23/2016 5:14:44 PM PST by beaversmom
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To: markomalley

For money, duh. They get paid for (say) three columns a week. Whether their columns make any sense is irrelevant.


10 posted on 11/23/2016 5:14:46 PM PST by Tax-chick ("You don't get to be an old drunk by doing stupid things with guns."~Harmless Teddy Bear)
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To: markomalley

By making such statements, the pundits convince themselves just how important they are to the world.


11 posted on 11/23/2016 5:15:06 PM PST by txnativegop (Hey! Libturds! You got Trumped!)
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To: markomalley

Trying to influence public opinion.


12 posted on 11/23/2016 5:19:19 PM PST by W. (Practice does NOT make perfect, only perfect practice makes perfect pistolcraft!)
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To: markomalley
Why Are Pundits Obsessed With Making Idiotic Predictions?


13 posted on 11/23/2016 5:36:36 PM PST by SkyPilot ("I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6)
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To: Reily
Because its there job!

Where? There?

14 posted on 11/23/2016 5:37:04 PM PST by SkyPilot ("I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6)
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To: Pearls Before Swine

Because they are idiots and it is there job


15 posted on 11/23/2016 5:37:54 PM PST by Jimmy The Snake
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To: SkyPilot

Yeah I know... my Surface thinks it knows better!


16 posted on 11/23/2016 5:40:03 PM PST by Reily
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To: markomalley

Same reason why babies poop and drool all the time. They can’t help themselves


17 posted on 11/23/2016 5:44:13 PM PST by ari-freedom (The Social Justice War is over and we won!)
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To: markomalley

Astounding headlines get clicks.

Nobody cares if the predictions come true or not.

I’ve long wanted to start a website devoted to tracking accuracy of pundits.


18 posted on 11/23/2016 5:45:12 PM PST by ctdonath2 ("If anyone will not listen to your words, shake the dust from your feet and leave them." - Jesus)
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To: markomalley

Because it sell’s....as soon as it is not profitable it will stop....propaganda baby!


19 posted on 11/23/2016 5:46:43 PM PST by mythenjoseph (Separation of powers)
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To: markomalley

The BS artists rise to the top.


20 posted on 11/23/2016 5:49:58 PM PST by ArcadeQuarters ("Immigration Reform" is ballot stuffing)
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