From a reader:

Hi Jonah,
Last year I abandoned, effectively, my dissertation when I realized I didn’t have a prayer to even compete for a job in academia—simply because I have conservative credentials.
And let me tell you, I was totally gung-ho to go a-pillaging in the academy! But, alas, with what I thought were fairly competitive academic credentials, as far as my research goes, I was never even invited to an interview where I could be told I was a worthless conservative snake.
Sour grapes!