1hundredsixty8

I have been very impressed by a group of young people whose work gives me hope for our society's future. They are a varied group of journalists, commentators, and public intellectuals who represent a wide spectrum of political philosophy but share the valuable ability to present clear ideas in a clear manner. In the din of derpiness and bloviation that passes for public discourse, this group sings a delightfully different tune. It is my sense that most of them are in their 30's, but I suspect a few may be slightly younger or slightly older.  I list here those I am acquainted with, though I am certain there are many more interesting voices out there.

Josh Barro (@jbarro), now political editor for BusinessInsider.com, describes himself as a conservative. His writings reveal a rigorous intellect and a mastery of expository style. I have the sense that most Republicans distrust him.

Chris Hayes (@chrishayes), the eurdite host of MSNBC's prime-time discussion show, All In With Chris Hayes, is an admitted progressive. He retains his journalistic roots as Editor-At-Large for The Nation. He is the author of Twilight of  the Elites, a chronicle of the failure of American meritocracy.

Joe Weisenthal (@TheStalwart) is Executive Editor of the BusinessInsider.com website. The Stalwart is a prolific- if not frenetic- blogger and tweeter.

Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) blogs for the Washington Post ("Wonkblog") and writes a column for Bloomberg and is an MSNBC contributor.

Annie Lowrey (@AnnieLowrey), who is married to Ezra Klein, is an economics policy reporter for the New York Times.

Catherine Rampell  (@crampell) also writes for the Times, blogging on both economics and theatre.

Reihan Salam (@reihan), is a commentator and journalist perhaps best described as a "reform conservative." He is the lead writer for The Agenda blog for the National Review Online.

Stephanie Kelton (@deficitowl) is Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and founder and editor of the New Economic Perspectives blog. She is an advocate of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT), a view of macro-economics based on fiat currencies.

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias) is a journalist who writes the Moneybox blog for slate.com. It would not be inaccurate to describe Yglesias as an contrarian liberal, often at odds with others on the left.

S.E. Cupp (@secupp)is a conservative political commentator and journalist. She is a co-host of MSNBC's The Cycle.

Betsey Stevenson (@BetseyStevenson) and Justin Wolfers (@justinwolfers), a married couple, are both on the economics faculty at the University of Michigan. Ms. Stevenson was recently named to President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers.

Mike Konczal (@rortybomb) blogs on economics for both Wonkblog and his own RortyBomb.

Karl Smith (@ModeledBehavior) is Assistant Professor of Economics and Government at the School of Government at the University of North Carolina. His Modeled Behavior blog deals with macro-economics and other topics.

Nate Silver (@fivethirtyeight) is a hybrid statistician/wonk who writes the FiveThirtyEight blog at the NY Times. His predictions for the 2012 elections were spot-on.

Of course, a person cannot survive on public policy alone. I have other interests and again have been very impressed by some of those making a mark while in their 30's.

Derek Trucks and Susan Tedschi (@DerekandSusan) are a married couple who lead the 11-piece Tedeschi-Trucks Band. Their music is a blend of blues, R-and-B, and funk that features the soulful singing of Ms. Tedeschi and emotional guitar playing of her husband.

Stana Katic (@stanakatic) is a Canadian-American actor who stars as Detective Kate Beckett in the TV series Castle. In addition to acting, Ms. Katic pursues other interests and is a active supporter of the Alternative Travel Project.

Chris Kluwe (@ChrisWarcraft) is an NFL punter, now with the Oakland Raiders after eight seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. Reputed to be a Libertarian, he is known for his outspoken, pro-same-sex marriage views. While in Minnesota, he authored the "Out of Bounds" blog. Kluwe is an avid gamer.