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!

[Rebelbase]

I re-discovered the outside world when I took a couple of weeks off, away from the computer.

I would bet it'd do you good to do the same.

[Johnny Shear]

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.

Fornication? NOT FORNICATION??? OH GOOD GOD, NOOOOOOOOOO!

Please excuse me while I continue destroying the world and go get some nookie...

[philman_36]

... judging from his statements.

[SamAdams76]

Free Republic is certainly not a failure and I think you are looking in the wrong areas when trying to measure its success.

Free Republic's real value is that it serves as a common meeting place for conservative minded people in which the issues of the day can be quickly disseminated and discussed. Actually, it is more of an anti-liberal forum than a conservative (or a Republican) forum because the members here seem to range from staunch libertarians to disaffected "Truman-era" Democrats. But I digress. The movers & shakers in the conservative community, that is, the ones who actually go out and get elected, or write a conservative column, or do a conservative radio talk show, etc., generally are not the ones posting here. But it is apparent that they do lurk in large numbers. Far too many times, I have read a column or heard a radio show monologue that expresses ideas and opinions I have already seen written on Free Republic. Sometimes verbatim. This has happened too many times for it to be a coicidence. So we "active posters" are indeed making a difference already. And as our numbers increase, so will our influence. But there is no way you are going to "measure" it in any reliable way.

[ex-snook]

"FreeRepublic is not a failure by any stretch, but it needs to extract its cranium from the RNC's anus. The current Republican Party is a mere shadow of what it once was. It has now been infested with Trotskyite, Frankfurt School Neocons, whose Big Government objectives do not jibe with true conservative values. They're little more than avaricious, internationalist Democrats who claim they go to church and have traditional values. Woodrow Wilson would be proud. Let FR return to its original purpose "

Amen. If that means conservatism has been infiltrated by foreign policy position advocates, then conservative values have lost, as they say, big time. All your conservative site belong to them. Opposition has been liquidated.

[usconservative]

Dream on, loser boy.

hey, how you surviving the flooding down there?

[68 grunt]

You're not accusing BA Conservative of being a fellow Repulican, are you? Its the infusion of 'ba conservative's, whose main goal is to drive wedges. Man, I wish I knew how many of these people are seminar posters? I'm a conservative, I always agree with you. but ...

Hey BareA$$, just shut the hell up!

[dtel]

"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."

I am so disappointed with you, to be the impartial lawman you claim on other threads and then come right out and show your true prejudices is wel...blasphemy.
Don't forget, you do have to answer to a HIGHER AUTHORITY.

[Revel]

"75,000 active FReepers, America just might be saved."

Dream on. probably 40,000 of those are no longer with us for one reason or another. Do you ever even check this out. It is not hard. Go to your home page and at the top it will give your user #. Change it one at at time. You will see that Many accounts have been deleted. Then for the ones that still do exist then do a "FIND IN FORUM". You will see that most say "NO POSTS". In other words that is an in active freeper. Some have died...And many don't take to well to FR's leap away from its original purpose to restore the constitution. We WERE NOT a Republican cheer leading group in the begining. Not even close!

[headsonpikes]

We're not a Republican cheer-leading group NOW.

You simply have no manners; don't be surprised if you're told to shut up.

[Johnny Shear]

FF578 is a wise poster.

FF578 is Earnest Aaaaaaangely...

And he needs to got back to ripping-off lonely old ladies and curing the rumatiz by slapping people in the forehead.

[VA Advogado]

Seems to me, FF578 is the one "reacting in a knee-jerk way....nothing but slurs and name-calling in his posts, no substance of argument whatsoever

His post was not name calling or knee-jerk at all. It was factually correct. The ones wearing the mantle of 'rat' is your weird group. The minute someone shines the light on the goofy things you believe in, you go crying and say someone is calling you names. WAHAAAAAAA

[Little Bill]

Since you went inactive we were deprived of a spokesman for the cause. We can post until the second coming, but what does that solve?

Until people get out and VOTE and demonstrate in favor of that vote we are doomed. Are you going to vote for Tommie the Commie or Shannon the Swift.

[chipengineer]

"You couldn't be more right! Libertarians are liberals with a greater hate of America."

A very strange statement, since most of the founding fathers were esentially libertarians.

[headsonpikes]

"lol funny how you libertines scatter like roaches..."

Actually, more like people escaping a crowded elevator in which someone has afflated.

[tpaine]

A large number of freepers have now observed & remarked upon your sociopathic hate for libertarians, VA.

-- Think about facing up to that fact, & learning some self control.

[DoughtyOne]

                    

As long as the debate goes on here, FreeRepublic is a success.  When that debate is stifled, it's success wanes.

There are two things wrong with the Republican party today.  Those two problems have been nearly fatal to conservatism.
The party pulls itself first one direction then the other canceling out any progress toward conservatism.
Despite this it's members slap each other on the back no matter what the party does.  It's always for the best.

As this syndrome continues, the party ceases to be a noteable positive factor in conservative national politics.
However it has become the death knell to conservatism. Conservatism will only fluorish when it has an advocate on the public stage.
In the absense of the advocacy, conservative ideals will go unexplained, unchampioned and unadopted.

When the only major party who claims to support conservatism, fails to persue and implement conservative ideals,
and those who profess to support conservatism continue to follow it blindly,
conservatism not only ceases to be implemented, future generations aren't even exposed to conservative ideals.
As they become the next leaders they will not draw from a conservative mindset.
Conservatism is all but dead in this nation at the current time.

When the socialist democrats take power, they don't equivocate for a moment.  They don't wring their hands and moan about
the populace's non-support of their goals.  They pursue their agenda with every fiber of their being.  If only we would do that!
That is the only way to advance an agenda.  One party does it without so much as a twinge of concience.
The other party appologizes for every conservative act and implements socialist agenda items to make ammends.

[humblegunner]

hey, how you surviving the flooding down there?

No worries here in Houston but our inland areas are catching hell..

TexanaRed flooded out