Left-of-center columnist Paul Krugman deemed Poterba “a great choice.” Republican Martin Feldstein, NBER president for 30 years, declared Poterba “an excellent fit.” Freakonomics co-author Steven Levitt summed it up: “The choice was so obvious that I can't say I'm surprised. Nonetheless, I couldn't be more delighted, both for Poterba and for the profession. This is wonderful news.”