Ooh, Nate Silver and his nerdy numbers-y things! 

Celebrity statistician Nate Silver has cast a Yoda-like spell over the media since achieving for election predictions what Billy Beane did for baseball: He crunched numbers to successfully out-wit the competition, making national headlines and inspiring a disrupt-y, data-geek revolution.

Um. Or he was right about a lot of stuff, which gave him a reputation for  being right about stuff. But hey, keep being condescending.

It’s true that Quinn is a masterful campaigner who once again defied expectations to catch up with a formidable challenger (this year, it’s Rauner; four years ago, it was Bill Brady). But this toss-up contest is much more contentious and high-profile than the last: Rauner, a shiny, new counterpoint to Quinn, has emerged a GOP star with tremendous pull in the suburban collar counties and Downstate and perhaps enough in Chicago to tip the balance of the election.

Right. Talking about Rauner’s stardom and his shiny-ness is the same as looking at polling and making predictions. Fuck you, Nate Silver and your Yoda-like spells!

It’s a wonder people aren’t flocking to traditional media for their election news.

A.