'It's an Affinity Thing'

The other day I asked why anyone listens to Bowles/Simpson. After all:

Simpson is, demonstrably, grossly ignorant on precisely the subjects on which he is treated as a guru, not understanding the finances of Social Security, the truth about life expectancy, and much more. He is also a reliably terrible forecaster, having predicted an imminent fiscal crisis — within two years — um, two years ago.

In addition, he is:

cantankerous, potty-mouthed individual, who evidently feels not a bit of empathy for those less fortunate.

He's also partisan, and has a clear agenda. Yet "he’s lionized" by the media. Paul Krugman tries to explain the attraction, and what it says about those who hold him in such high regard.