In 2010, political-numbers man Nate Silver moved his independent blog onto the big-time platform that is the New York Times' site. The new version of Five Thirty Eight has a more corporate look and feel, but the appeal — Silver's clever analysis of poll data and other information relating to political horse races — remains the same. And the Times' tougher moderation of comments has improved the quality dramatically. With Election Day 2012 on the horizon, this blog is going to get more essential in the months to come.