Joan, Jeanne, Ruth, etc...

It's time.

It's time for you to decide what you REALLY stand for.

It's time to decide what sort of contribution you want to make to the discourse.

It's time to decide what your legacy as a publication, and as journalists, will be.

Right now, Salon is heading in a very different direction than many of your readers.

We want balanced, astute debate on the nature of the candidates. And instead, we get "Obama is a woman."

We want insightful analysis of what's going on in politics, like we get from Glenn Greenwald. But you also include the global-warming-denier wingnut in liberal's clothes, Camille Paglia.

We want thoughtful looks at current events, like we get from Sy Hershman. But we also have to be exposed to train wrecks like Debra Dickerson, who needs a therapist about as much as she needs an editor.

You've never addressed why you keep running writers like Paglia and Dickerson -- and yes, we've NOTICED your lack of response. You get bucketloads of reader mail saying how intensely we despise the politically deceptive nature of these writers, who claim liberal or Democratic sensibilities, and then do everything in their power to tear down any and all reason, and veer right into wingnut territory.

By failing to respond, by continuing to employ such minimal thinkers of such a different political bent, you make it clear that you run them for the most cynical reasons.

You run them because they're controversial, and they generates page views -- and therefore money for you -- with their lengthy, navel gazing, fury-inducing nonsense.

And they generate many MORE page views from furious readers, and the people who read the irate responses.

Is this really how Salon wants to be? Taunting your readers, then sitting back going "kaching, kaching" while the page views tote up and your bank account increases?

Do you really think people are going to take Salon seriously when you publish someone who insists that global warming doesn't exist, and thinks George Bush was right to invade Iraq?

Do you really think Salon deserves to have anyone ante up for subscriptions, when we can read the same conservative drivel at Little Green Footballs for free?

Why should we care what the vast majority of your writers have to say, when we suspect that they're all marching in lockstep with you in your concerted campaign against Barack Obama?

Why, exactly, should we stick around anymore, Joan?

Because you seem pretty hellbent on driving us all out of here. Huffington Post, Slate, and Alternet are getting more business these days, and it's no secret why...

I think it's time someone at Salon -- "Joan Walsh to the white paging phone" -- told us what the hell is actually going on with Salon, and why you seem so determined to alienate the liberal, Democratic readers.