Dear Commons Community,

New York Times columnist, David Brooks, is generally moderate in his comments about individuals. He prefers to comment about ideas. Yesterday, however, in his end of the year column, while reviewing the best essays of 2014, Brooks takes a direct hit at Chris Hughes, the new owner of The New Republic.

“The country suffered a great loss this year with the destruction of The New Republic at the hands of its callow and incompetent owner, Chris Hughes. Before it was obliterated a few weeks ago, it churned out the usual stream of outstanding essays.”

Hughes, once one of Silicon Valley’s stars, is having a rough year trying to make his mark beyond sunny California. Ross Douthat and Ezra Klein were also critical of his management of The New Republic. His efforts to remake The New Republic into his own hybrid e-zine image has hit the skids badly.

Tony