alt Hacker NewsI think we've been far too generous in the last decade with whose opinion is relevant to whether there is a meaningful "consensus" on a matter or not. Hence why I say that Ayn Rand is to economics as geocentrists are to astronomy - they're simply not relevant to a definition of consensus that has any value to me.
My opinion of Ayn Rand is no more flattering than yours, but I accept that she has quite a few powerful 'followers'. I wouldn't be surprised if quite a few of the current administration were big Ayn Rand fans. Their opinions may be absurd but, sadly, they are also relevant.