I don't doubt this or anything, but intuitively, I would think that average 500hpa height anomaly might not be representative of how well each model / ensemble handles east coast cyclogenesis, let alone bombogenesis.
I total agree with you that it's weird to be writing it off when they are riding it so close, except that I'm pretty sure with runnaway it's reverse psychology and I totally support it lol.
Look, I love the sentiment, but I'd just rather be a little bit more confident that a large chunk of the subforum won't look back on this storm...unfondly.
I agree we are past the time of ignoring the OP in favor of the ensembles. But I don't think we can say that there's still not high sensitivity to the timing of the capture