I don’t think Free Republic has lost credibility.
I’m proud of my association with Free Republic, John and Jim Robinson and all the great friends I’ve met here and FReepers that I haven’t met.
I have learned so much here.
I agree with your tagline.
In the last few years, I'm convinced we've acquired paid troublemakers who sow discord. But more to the point, there are those who ignorantly throw out statements along the lines of "Why doesn't Trump just get on the damned Oval Office phone and order Hillary arrested!" - which displays an abject ignorance of our Constitutional processes.
Oftentimes Free Republic is like a "Cheers" bar scene with drunken "Cliff Claven" types who don't know what they're talking about but have no qualms incessantly boasting their ill-conceived opinions about how things are supposed to be done on every thread.
Then I come upon the childish "You're a moron!" "No, YOU are!" "No, YOU ARE!" posts. That's when I abandon the thread.
Things like this are where we lose credibility. Educated people read these kinds of posts, shake their heads, and stay away.