A Eulogy for The New Republic

New York Magazine ^ | 12/4/14 | Jonathan Chait

[jalisco555]

Not long after he purchased The New Republic, Chris Hughes had lunch with me, as he was doing with quite a few journalists around Washington. At one point, he asked me who the best editor had been during my 16 years. I had worked for a half dozen editors, several of them great, but it was an easy question. I replied “Frank Foer” so quickly that Hughes appeared startled.

I don’t think my answer convinced Hughes to hire Foer as TNR’s editor, because I’m sure anybody else who worked with him said the same, and anyway, Frank Foer was born to edit the magazine. He has a deep, wide-ranging curiosity that spans the gamut from historical and philosophical to vulgar politics and popular culture. He has an almost freakish ability to understand how other people’s minds work, a talent I have seen him use on me and many others, to find the subject matter that perfectly suits them. His essay for the magazine's anniversary issue described how it was founded in Theodore Roosevelt's living room, and became, and remained, an essential foundation of American progressive thought. Today, he resigned.

Frank Foer isn’t leaving TNR because he wasn’t a good enough editor. He’s leaving because Chris Hughes is not a good enough owner.

[jalisco555]

While always on the left, the New Republic used to be iconoclastic and interesting. No longer. Now it's boringly doctrinaire left-wing, no different from The Nation or Salon. It's a pity.

[jocon307]

Leon Weiseltier may be a huge lib, but he is an excellent writer. Anyone who fires him or causes him to resign is a fool.

[goldstategop]

Its used to be one of those magazines worth reading. No one cares nowadays.

[Gaffer]

They dropped of my radar as “remotely credible” when they hired Stephen Glass and then proceeded to let him write lies. Half of his ‘stories’ were outright fabricated.

[Mikey_1962]

The old Republic is just fine with me.

We don’t need a new one.

[GOPJ]

I subscribed years ago - back when it had interesting perspectives..

[Buckeye McFrog]

A Leftist blames the EEEEEEVIL Capitalist owner for all of the problems. Anyone surprised?

[RayChuang88]

I'll say this though: when a Left-leaning media organization implodes, it does it pretty spectacularly. Look at what is happening at Rolling Stone magazine today by being forced to retract that story over the rape at the University of Virginia--the fraternity named in that story might just sue Rolling Stone out of existance.

[SunkenCiv]

At one point, he asked me who the best editor had been during my 16 years. I had worked for a half dozen editors, several of them great, but it was an easy question. I replied “Frank Foer” so quickly that Hughes appeared startled... Frank Foer was born to edit the magazine. He has a deep, wide-ranging curiosity that spans the gamut from historical and philosophical to vulgar politics and popular culture. He has an almost freakish ability to understand how other people’s minds work... Frank Foer isn’t leaving TNR because he wasn’t a good enough editor. He’s leaving because Chris Hughes is not a good enough owner.

That's not much of a claim:

• A STATEMENT FROM SCOTT THOMAS BEAUCHAMP: (TNR's diarist comes clean)
• Beauchamp Investigation Concluded ["Refuted by Members of his Platoon and PROVEN TO BE FALSE"]
• Pvt. [Scott Thomas]Beauchamp: Proud of Being Ashamed?
• Author Tells U.S. Army He Made Up Stories Published in New Republic
• A STATEMENT ON SCOTT THOMAS (TNR Editors Respond)
• My Time In Iraq [ExileStreet]
• The New Republic - Mendacity Unlimited (The Private Scott Thomas Beauchamp Affair)
• Rush Limbaugh, phony soldiers, and the Left’s desperate need for its own “Betray Us” moment
• Dem Rush to Idiocy (REID CALLS ON SENATORS TO JOIN IN CONDEMNING LIMBAUGH FROM SENATE FLOOR)
• SHOCK DOCS: THE NEW REPUBLIC 'SHOCK TROOPS' STORY COLLAPSES
• Foer's Folly Finally Falls Flat {The New Republic}
• Foer of Fog