Is Free Republic a Failure?

vanity ^ | July 6, 2002 | B. A. Conservative

[B. A. Conservative]

"Founded in 1996 by Jim Robinson, Free Republic is a loosely organized group of grassroots Americans who support our Constitution and look for honesty, integrity and honor from those in government."

What is our mission? "Free Republic is dedicated to reversing the trend of unconstitutional government expansion and is advocating a complete restoration of our constitutional republic." Jim Robinson has listed a great deal more worthwhile information and detail concerning the mission and a description of Free Republic. The current mission statement has been edited from an earlier version to account for past events. The original mission statement included language advocating the impeachment of William Jefferson Clinton, then President of the United States. Free Republic accomplished that portion of its mission statement by playing a central role in the events culminating in the successful vote in the House of Representatives to Impeach William Jefferson Clinton. For its role in the impeachment, Free Republic is an unequivocal and unqualified success.

However in evaluating and measuring Free Republic's performance with regard to the larger and by far the more significant role, "reversing the trend of unconstitutional government expansion and a complete restoration of our constitutional republic", I think the leadership and members of Free Republic need to refocus their thinking. By using any yardstick of your own choosing, there are few if any parameters in which conservatives can claim any improvement. And in any small victories that might have occurred, I would ask that you point out the role played by Free Republic in bringing it about. In short, I think that Free Republic has lost its focus on its most important reason for being.

Before offering my suggestions for getting back on track, I would like offer some thoughts on how and why we have become distracted from the primary focus as so eloquently stated by Jim Robinson:

• The lawsuit initiated by the Compost and the Lost Angles was a major distraction to the forum and a significant consumer of time and talents for the Free Republic leadership and of its legal and financial resources. Thanks to the Divine Providence that guided the thinking of the Founders, this lawsuit is now behind us and no longer a drain on our resources or a distraction to the business at hand.
• "Most of the visitors to the Free Republic website are attracted...for two basic reasons: First, this is a fast moving forum where you can often find breaking news and up to the minute updates. But, most importantly, visitors are encouraged to comment on the news of the day here, and especially to contribute whatever information they may have to help others better understand a particular story."
  Relevant discussion and analysis of current events contributes to the primary mission, but much of what takes place now is nothing more than idle chat or instant messaging. I would offer the suggestion that the "Private Reply" button should be used much more frequently than the "Post Reply". I would also proffer that moderators do more to eliminate or discourage chat, again utilizing the "Private Reply" mode. The new method of indexing and linking forum topics is very helpful. Thank you to the Robinsons.
• News for the sake of posting or as a source of news may be great fun, and may bring some viewers, but does not always add and may detract from the primary focus. More thought on the part of the poster with regard to categorization separating current events, political news, humor, etc would be helpful to us all.

The two courses of action most likely to offer a speedy and effective return to our Constitutional Republic are political and judicial. The left has used judicial appointments very effectively against the Constitution. Reagan advanced the task of recovering the federal judiciary, but we still have a long way to go in this area. Nevertheless, strategic use of the courts could be a very effective weapon in our arsenal. I think this should be the topic of some very serious discussions on how we can use the courts to attack existing unconstitutional government actions, laws and regulations. It takes someone to bring an action, and some legal thought to make such efforts productive. Forum shopping and plaintiff seeking are actively used by our opposition. I think this is an area where we can do much more than we have been doing.

And that brings us to the area of the greatest interest to us all. And it is in this arena that we are more likely to bring the quick results that we all desire. Well thought out, carefully crafted political activism can be effective. And each election offers opportunities to build on prior successes and to learn from prior mistakes. I will proffer that we have done little more than chat or indulge in wishful thinking. Our attempts at organized planning, coordination or unification of efforts, orderly assignment of tasks and delegation of responsibilities have been largely non-existent. All volunteer labor is hard to harness and effectively deploy. But it is not impossible.

Our computers and the internet provide the means to share and coordinate our efforts. It could also provide the means of choosing our leaders, delegation of tasks and responsibilities, and our most powerful weapon in recruiting new talents. Every human on the planet that has an internet connection has access to our materials and our efforts. It is a means to make our voices heard and to recruit more voices.

Everyone that frequents this site has visions of making their voice heard and making their vote count. Individually our voices are lost in the crowd noise. And even with our dismal lack of voter turnout, there were still more than 100 million votes cast in the last presidential election. It is difficult to know that your vote counted when it constitutes such a small part of the total vote. Political parties make a difference in the outcomes of elections by pooling the votes of like-minded individuals. Political candidates exercise power because each supporter transfers a portion of their individual power to the candidate. Coalitions gain power by pooling the individual powers of their members.

Free Republic can exercise the power of a coalition through uniting behind either common candidates or common issues or both. By acting as a unit, we can multiply our political effectiveness considerably. By recruiting and enlarging or attracting new members or supporters, we can multiply our effectiveness even more. We have proved that we can be effective. Ask the House managers and other members of the House how Clinton came to be impeached in spite of all the efforts of the media to prevent it.

We are approaching another election in a few months. Traffic on this site will increase progressively as we get closer to election day. Our political clout and power will increase exponentially as our viewing numbers increase. No matter what anyone wishes, the polls will be relatively close and the outcome of the election uncertain until the polls are closed. We will only have a good idea of the outcome when the exit polls and returns begin to come in. Before Election Day, the closer the polling data and the more uncertain the outcome of the election, the more our votes and our voices will matter. The more unified we are leading up to the election, the more our voices will be heard, and the more our votes will be courted.

We will have zero influence on Democratic voters or candidates. Any efforts directed at Democratic candidates will be a complete waste of our time and resources. Almost all directed at Democratic votes will have the same sad results. But our efforts directed at Republican voters and candidates can have a tremendous impact on the election and more importantly on the campaign leading up to the election. And surprisingly, our efforts in this election could have an even greater impact on the election of 2004.

FreeRepublic has the power within its grasp to achieve its mission and change the course of history. Organization, delegation, and unity of purpose are the keys to success. On another thread, I have offered what I believe to be one solution to the problem. There may be others. That is what the mission of this forum is about. Let's Roll!

[ganesha]

This decision is a classic example of judicial activism. The court is saying that because burglary and tearing down fences, which are illegal because they destroy or take private property without the consent of the owner are illegal, and also immoral, therefore charging someone to look at a painting of a naked lady is also immoral and should therefore be illegal. They also attempt to make an argument that anything done in secret must be bad. Their argument is a non sequiter. It's like saying that tomatoes are red and fire engines are red , therefore all tomatoes are fire engines. The people chose to pay their own money to look at a picture. The judges thought the picture was immoral, that's their opinion but whose rights are being violated? The fact that they then base their decision on a vague reference to common law without giving anything specific as a precedent is similar to the liberal supreme court tactic of using "penumbras" and "emmanations" rather than what the law actually says.

[Tuor]

Libertarians Endorse Homosexuality, Abortion, Sex Outside of Wedlock, Drug Use, Pornography, Blasphemy, Prostitution, Gambling.

You just don't get it, do you? We don't *endorse* these things, we simply think that it isn't for government, especially the Federal Government, to involve itself in such matters. Liberals, on the other hand, *do* tend to endorse and approve of many of those things.

Tuor

Give me liberty or give me death.

[Tuor]

You talk big and bad, but you can't change the fact that you would be prosecuted for fornication in several states.

Really? Do you honestly think any of these states would actually prosecute someone based on fornication laws? If so... well, I think that ends our discussion.

Tuor

Give me liberty or give me death.

[185JHP]

Thanks for your thoughtful reply. If I knew of a better site, I'd spend a lot of time there. A few days ago someone posted a line from an old movie - I've paraphrased it for my own use as follows: "Many things aren't what they appear. But everything is exactly what it is." FR is kinda like a talkshow guy who I won't name - some good information, some fun, and sometimes inanity creeps in. FReegards

[B. A. Conservative]

"Part of the problem is that Free Republic has been infiltrated by leftists (Libertarians) who support blasphemy, drug use, homosexuality, abortion, fornication, adultery, prostitution, immorality, and a host of other things that All true conservative despise and hate."

Libertarians are not leftists. And libertarians are correct in their positions on drugs and correct in their opposition to using the power of government to legislate morality. It is you, my father, Rush and his brother who are out of touch with reality on these questions. The debate is exactly analogous to the war on poverty. The war on drugs cannot be won. It is a waste of resources. And it fosters untold political and official corruption. And thinking conservatives should know that government cannot be entrusted with serious efforts or responsibilities. And in particular the state cannot be trusted with the kinds of power that would be required if society were actually determined to abolish drug use or crimes of immorality.

If you can't stop your kids from using drugs, what kind of fool thinks the state can? If you can't stop your daughter, sister, or wife from becoming a prostitute, how would you suggest that the state accomplish this task?

You rant about blasphemy and adultery. I would ask if God can't prevent these acts, how are you or the state going to prevent them? Perhaps if the state were not coerced into wasting resources against moral turpitudes, it could actually have a greater impact on violent crimes.

[philman_36]

You talk big and bad, but you can't change the fact that you would be prosecuted for fornication in several states.
If homosexual acts aren't prosecuted in those "several states" why would fornication be any different?
Are you saying some laws are more equal than others?

[LowOiL]

The citation you have given is from a time long past, dead and gone and never to come again in our lifetimes, and probably not in the lifetimes of any now living, if ever.

Like the constitution? (using your reasoning of course)

If the ruling was unconstitutional, don't you think the supreme court would of overturned it?

Perhaps it is wise to not suggest it was a dated ruling.

[philman_36]

You can be what ever other kind of "freak" you want to be, but I can assure you, the top slot has already been taken.
Heeey...If you're going to talk about me you should at least flag me. {;^)

[anniegetyourgun]

You'll excuse me if I tire of all the navel-gazing that goes on around here......

[LowOiL]

you should at least flag me. {;^)

LOL, opps sorry....

[philman_36]

You're good at citing court cases. When was the last case for either fornication or a homosexual act?

[B. A. Conservative]

I did not mean to be critical of activism or denigrate the efforts of those engaged in those efforts. Nor am I impugning the thinking behind them. However, I am suggesting that if our focus is only on defeating liberal Democrats and causing them grief, that we have lost our perspective of the real goal which is to roll back the unconstitutional provisions that they enacted and that are now being enforced by both parties and are being unchallenged regardless of who is in power. Electing Republicans by defeating Democrats and having Republicans enact the Democratic agenda is a hollow victory.

And requesting that Republicans do the right thing in opposition to doing what is politically popular is not only humiliating but borders on infuriating.

After the 1994 Republican Revolution, Congressional Republicans did an admirable job until Bob Dole fumbled the ball in the Senate on the balanced budget amendment. Nominating Dole in 1996 was a tragic mistake and it has been downhill ever since. True conservatives should be enraged about the performance of Congressional Republicans since 1996. I would argue that re-electing left-leaning Republicans or Republicans that have under-performed on the conservative agenda just to defeat Democrats is losing sight of the ball. Conservatives need to demand more from Republicans and we should expect acceptable performance. If we don't expect and demand more from Republicans, the evidence is clear; we will not get enactment of our agenda and we will not see a repeal of the socialistic programs enacted by Democrats.

[philman_36]

I am an LEO.
And?
In fact The last Sodomy conviction here, (I think it was a year or two ago) landed the guy in prison for 3 years.
An LEO who doesn't know? Don't they give ya'll updates?
And sodomy isn't quite fornication is it. Aren't there seperate "laws" for each seperate act?

[BluesDuke]

After the 1994 Republican Revolution, Congressional Republicans did an admirable job until Bob Dole fumbled the ball in the Senate on the balanced budget amendment.

The fumbling actually began with the 1995-96 farm bill - the one Newt Gingrich so sanctimoniously called the "Freedom to Farm Act," but a) restored a passel of unwarranted farm subsidies/supports that had expired by law before the bill finally came up to pass, and b) was nothing much else if not the freedom to farm pork - and I don't mean the kind slopping on Ma and Pa Kettle's sty trough, either. Those who want to know how Republicans blew their 1994 mandate and garnered a well-deserved reputation for talking the talk but not walking the walk can begin there. (By the way, for anyone who might care to ask you, you can tell them the 1998 loss of Republican seats had nothing to do with the Clinton impeachment and everything to do with yet another budget that was hiking spending - only since the increase that finally passed was a little less than first proposed, they had the nerve to call it a spending cut, with enough people dumb enough to believe it - and Newtie and his Blowfish telling the recalcitrants looking to knock it off and get back to cutting spending, well, I'm-fed-up-with-you-clowns-who-won't-see-the-Beeg-Picture...thus prompted the rumbling that ended with Gingrich out on his big fat ass and the accelerated indecision that has since characterised the Capitol Hill leadership.)

The road to Damnocratic hell is paved with Republican't good intentions.

[Nick Danger]

If we don't expect and demand more from Republicans, the evidence is clear; we will not get enactment of our agenda

We cannot do that by yelling at them, or by yelling more loudly. We can only do that by persuading enough of our fellow voters to agree with us.

Politicians can count. We can't yell them into believing that there is some huge constituency out here for more conservative politics. They will believe it when they see more conservative candidates winning elections, and not a day before.

We often criticise the New York media for operating inside an echo chamber full of Manhattan liberals. Let's not do the same thing to ourselves. We are right wing nuts. There are not enough of us to elect anybody. The politicians know this, and that is why they throw us a bone every so often, but generally ignore us. That won't change until there are more of us. Criticizing politicians for going where the votes are is silly.

We need to stop worrying about what "the GOP" is doing and work on the voters. When we have the politicians by the votes, their hearts and minds will follow.

[B. A. Conservative]

Very well said, but I hope your analysis is flawed. I think there are still many of us who understand why the United States became great. I think there are still many in Congress who know. But I think many of them have shelved their values and adopted a defeatist attitude because of the pervasive propaganda bombardment by the media and their slanted polling data. When Newt lost his place of honor and the Republican leadership in the House collapsed, the rest of the Congressional Republicans seem to have mentally resigned. Lott was an effective barricade to conservative action while the Senate was in Republican hands.

Our job is restore the faith of Republicans in Congress that there are still many conservative Americans who have a clear perception of right and wrong. And those same representatives need to know that we are going to demand that they fight for conservative legislation to repeal socialism. And conservatives all across the country need to know that if existing Republicans do not or will not perform, they will be replaced by somebody that will deliver.

[jodorowsky]

Yeah, just like Vince Foster committed suicide because the Wall Street Journal said mean things.

[BluesDuke]

Politicians can count.

If they could count, we wouldn't have governments spending dollars they haven't yet filched (from us!) in such a way as to make drunken sailors look like A.A. chapter leaders. ;)

[philman_36]

If we don't expect and demand more from Republicans, the evidence is clear; we will not get enactment of our agenda and we will not see a repeal of the socialistic programs enacted by Democrats.
LOL...yu won fune gi.
See, personally I don't "expect" anything from Republicans or Democrats other than what has already been dished up for the last...oh, say 50-60 years, or longer. And that ain't "expecting much".
Demand something from the Republicans or Democrats? Please tell me you're kidding.
They don't hear no stinking demands. They don't even hear pleas to do what is right. What makes you think they'll listen to demands?
There ought not be either Republicans or Democrats to start with. That's just how things are today. My how far we've come in so short a time.
As far as I'm concerned the best outcome that I can see is giving both sides enough of their own rope. They'll jump the stump of their own accord.

[philman_36]

We can only do that by persuading enough of our fellow voters to agree with us.
"Every vote counts." Go Democracy! /sarcasm

Your democracy, not mine.
I still contend your "vote" is worthless.
And "agree" on what? That one party and their agenda is "better" than the other? I don't think so.
Momma didn't raise no fool!
All you've got left then is the lesser of two evils.
Principals are gone and agendas reign supreme.