RIP, The New Republic

The New Republic may be, in the words of owner Chris Hughes "bigger than any one of us" -- but is it bigger than the 50-plus staffers who have now fled? No.

Hughes and new CEO Guy Vidra now own a dead magazine, a "vertically integrated digital media company" with no vital signs.

The only hope is that after a few months of poking and prodding the corpse, the near-billionaire Facebook co-founder will sell TNR at a fire sale price to some thoughtful entrepreneur who can lure back the old staff and restore a great American institution to its former glory.