I think academics can (not that they necessarily do) keep their "serious academic" hat on in their role as academics, but once they move into other spheres, like the messy business of politics, they're just hacks like we all are. On a narrow policy question there might be reason to hear what an economist has to say, especially if they manage to keep their serious academic hat on, but there's no more reason to listen to an economist on "who to vote for" than there is for "how to fix your car."
