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]

"SD you have a real flair!"

Thanks. SUSSA was a very interesting guy to speak with. He is very familiar with New Jersey politics, so he's seen the worst of the worst.

Also he worked on the Goldwater campaign when he was in high school. Ask him about it some time.

[MamaDearest]

JimRob doesn't look ANYTHING like I thought he would. I don't know why I expected a three-piece suit and tie, but he looks so --- well --- relaxed and "normal." He looks like he could be any one of us - how cool is that? Thanks for posting the pictures - it was a treat to see fellow FReepers!!!

[bluesagewoman]

Thanks for the update on Jim Rob and Co. We know exactly what magic you are trying to explain. The photo with the jars of lightening pretty much sums it up in a visual way.

Glad the trip is going smoothly. FReepers are the BEST!

[potlatch]

Wonderful post SerpentDove!! JimRob looks great!

Meek, your pictures are beautiful, I'm camera looking and need to find out what kind of camera you have!!

[JustAmy]

Thanks for the report and the pictures.

Looks and sounds like all had a great time.

[blastdad51]

What a motley crew,,,,wish I was there...:-)

regards Dad.

[montag813]

Cozumel sucks. Next time do Javiers. Best in Dallas, at least according to this NYer.

[Cultural Jihad]

Try the margarita sampler!

Always good advice! ;-)

[Jim Robinson]

Great post! And photos! LOL

We really enjoyed meeting with the Dallas FReepers! Was a wonderful dinner and was so great meeting everyone.

Thank you all very much!

Jim

[SerpentDove]

Thanks, Jim!

And stay safe on the road.

J
SD

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks ! And we forgot to post the Freepmobile!

Here it is:

[Ms. AntiFeminazi]

Great job on the pics, SerpentDove - AS ALWAYS! Thank you so much for taking them and posting this report. I see TLI and Texagirl4W managed to escape the cam somehow. hmmmm. :)

Ping to the NTX Chapter for pics of our dinner with Jim last night. It was great to meet some of you for the first time and to see many of you again after such a long time. I'm so sorry the rest of you couldn't make it. I know it's hard when we're so spread out especially on a weeknight.

Meek, be sure to ping me once you get your pics up too!

hocndoc, I hope you found your way back okay last night. It was so great to see you HERE this time. :) Thanks for making the effort to join us.

[MeekOneGOP]

Thank you, sir. Enjoyed meeting you !

Careful on the road, and enjoy the rest of your trip.

[Ms. AntiFeminazi]

I'm disappointed too! I was really looking forward to meeting you. Maybe next time.

[ladyinred]

Uh oh Jim, you blew your image, now they all think you are some nice guy or something! :-) Looks like you guys had a great time there with this group! Tell Sheila I wish I had her plate of food, it looks yummy!

[ladyinred]

This is the best one of these threads yet! Great report, great pictures and great looking food! I only have one question, Where are Sheila's flowers?????

[SerpentDove]

Thanks, but these photos are Meek's. They are great, aren't they?

I spent so much time tweaking this post that I didn't post mine yet.

I plan on posting them tomorrow and asking Meek to ping again.

:-)

[hocndoc]

Thank you, no problems at all going home - I just followed your directions in reverse.

Y'all made me feel very welcome and I got to hold the baby!

[SerpentDove]

That is priceless.

[abner]

Fitz- photo of MAF here....