DALLAS FREEPERS DINE WITH JIM ROBINSON (Report and Photos)

SerpentDove ^ | 6/9/04 | SerpentDove

[SerpentDove]

Greetings, FReepers!

SerpentDove here. I will intersperse photos along with my report.

Last night, June 8, 2004, Dallas FReepers had the distinct honor of meeting and dining with the Big Enchilada, Jim Robinson! We met at Cozymel’s Mexican Restaurant in Plano.

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For those of you who have never met Jim in person, he is everything you would expect and more. Lightning shoots from his eyes and fingertips, and he went around all night telling everyone to “knock it off.” :-)))

No, in actuality, Jim is a kind-faced man with smiling eyes, a gentle demeanor, and a sincere laugh.

It was an honor to meet the man whose internet site helped shake one Presidency to its foundation, and helped keep another from being hijacked.

It was heady stuff discussing with Jim the days of Whitewater and Lewinsky, when each day brought a new scandal that unfolded on our monitors. Stroke of a the keyboard, end of a legacy. Kinda cool.

The fajitas were swell, but at one point I decided to set down the fork and go meet “The Man.”

While I felt ill-prepared to strike up a political conversation with JimRob (I mean, this is JIM ROBINSON, and by this time he must have absorbed billions more bytes of information than even the most die-hard FReeper!)...I still was compelled to engage him.

So I sat down at the table with him, SUSSA and Moiraine.

I asked about the early days when Drudge linked to his site, and he and SUSSA told me of the days when Rep. Bob Barr called to meet with the FR “staff” during the impeachment inquiry, of clues dropped by Lucianne Goldberg, of the drumbeat joined by Alan Keyes, et al.

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I fumbled for relevant questions. “Jim, when did you first know that FreeRepublic was a big deal?”

“When we were getting hits from the Executive Office of the President.” I wonder how many times Lanny Davis and James Carville have hit FR? Or Hillary and Slick, for that matter. Plenty, I’ll bet. We all know Rush and Sean Hannity lurk.

If I remember correctly, he said FR has 150,000 members.

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My next volley. “Jim, I’ve gotta ask you...how do you see the unfolding of America in the next twenty years?” About 1/1000th of a second elapsed when his eyes sparkled and he said, “It will get more conservative.”

I reflexively smiled and said, “I think so, too.” He shares Reagan’s optimism.

I intimated that the eight years of Clinton probably took years off of my life. But I also had to share, "You know, it was kind of fun, though." He let go a genuine belly laugh, the kind like when someone really identifies with what you're saying. Then he added sarcastically, "Come on, Kerry!"

For my next question, I bore down, not for emphasis, but because I just had to know. “How does it feel to know that you are a channel through which history and the world is being changed?” I knew this was no exaggeration or flattery.

Again, the answer was firm and instant. He leaned forward and looked at me intently. “YOU know...because you’re part of it too!”

He knocked it out of the park with that answer. Power to the FReeple. I, like many, have witnessed firsthand the power of the internet to shake the world. It is an unbridled torrent that is about to destroy the mainstream media. It belongs to ordinary citizens, not the elites in Washington.

For a tiny while I sat in a little restaurant in Texas, amid empty glasses and tortilla chip crumbs, across the table from one of the primary architects of the media revolution.

Ronald Reagan said he wanted to be remembered for giving the people back their government.

I believe Jim Robinson’s legacy is in giving the people back their press.

Thanks, Jim, and God bless you.

SerpentDove

[SerpentDove]

I've gotta share a funny that happened last night.

I had never been to this restaurant, so when I arrived, I said I was with a group.

I was escorted to the back bar, where there were people mingling, and a woman sat at a table with name tags ready to be filled out.

The woman smiled as I asked "Is this the FReeper group?"

She said, "Do you mean CCGALO?" I said no, and went to ask the hostess if she knew about a FreeRepublic gathering. She said that CCGALO was the only group scheduled to meet there that night.

Hmmm. Maybe they are going undercover. Maybe there was an Al Qaeda threat or something, so they had to throw them off.

I had to ask. "What's CCGALO?"

"Collin County Gay And Lesbian Association."

That's not the Free Republic I remember. No way would they go that deep undercover.

I said "Is there another Cozymel's around here?"

"Sir, this isn't Cozymel's. Cozymel's is next door."

And so it was.

[GVnana]

Thanks for the ping. Nice post.

[eastforker]

Looking forward to meeting JR this weekend, thanks for the pics.

[Howlin]

LOL!!! OMG, that is so funny!

[TEXOKIE]

Dallas Texas Bump!

[SerpentDove]

Meek, I forgot to include this that you sent me:

Here is the list of folks that attended the Texas Freeper get-together with Jim Robinson and gang 6-8-2004:

• Jim, Sheila and Chris Robinson, nephew Richard and his wife Brandy

• Ms. Antifeminazi

• Serpentdove

• MeekOneGOP

• Professional Engineer, wife msdrby and their two children

• 4mycountry, her Dad Mobilemitter and Mom

• Shooter 2.5

• Moiraine

• enviros_kill

• SUSSA

• neb52

• hocndoc

• Texagirl4W

• ladtx and his wife

• TLI

• Donaeus

• pwatson

[Alouette]

Lightning shoots from his eyes and fingertips

My favorite ZOT graphic:

[Straight Vermonter]

I have to say it was great to meet Mr Robinson at the Bush inauguration. My wife was very impressed that such a humble man had accomplished so much.

It was also cool to meet all of my felow FReepers although it was ometimes jarring to realize that someone I thought was mal was actually female and vice versa. LOL.

[Fiddlstix]

Thanks for the Post and the Photos.
May God Bless all of you.
(May God Bless All Of Us, Every One)

EAGLES UP!

[Cold Heat]

We thoroughly enjoyed their visit here in Arkansas.

I see you all had the same experience.

Great pics of the folks in Dallas!

[COEXERJ145]

Ah, now the picture makes sense!

[MEG33]

I am so happy to see this great gathering!

[Mo1]

Outstanding questions and answers !!

Sounds like y'all had a fabulous time

[MeekOneGOP]

ROFL !!!

And GREAT job on posting this thread. Really good !

[NewRomeTacitus]

Cut to the chase: how many habaneros can he down at one sitting?

That looked like great fun. Good job!

[GOPJ]

Wonderful post. Thanks.

[ClancyJ]

I am so jealous.......!!!!!

I wanted to come so bad but my husband was too hard to get away from the house. I wanted to meet and shake the hand of Jim Robinson. Also wanted to meet you Meek and all the other Dallas freepers.

Think I'll go in there and rant and rave at him about how I always go where he wants but does he reciprocate? No, guess not.

[AZamericonnie]

Excellent reporting! SD you have a real flair! It is so fun to have pics to place with Freeper names. I must say...SSUA is a very handsome man! Jim Rob's comment are priceless. Thank you for sharing. I live in AZ and hope someday to have the privilege myself to Mr. Robinson.

[GOPJ]

Wonderful post.

[zip]

Thanks for the report and pictures. We are still thrilled about Jim and Sheila's visit to Columbia MO on Memorial Day. We just realized the distances they are traveling to visit with all of us and are thankful to have been able to have lunch with them. I know that you all enjoyed meeting with them.