Is an "Expert" Someone Who Is Surprised by Developments in Their Area of Expertise?

That might seem to be the definition given the way they are often featured in news accounts. A NYT piece on the results of the election in Italy, in which a comedian received almost a quarter of the votes, told readers:

"Few experts anticipated the depth of anger displayed by Italian voters over the austerity that Mr. Monti, the technocrat beloved by other European leaders but resented at home for pushing tax increases and spending cuts, represented. The electorate chose two men convicted of...