2) Traffic on political-oriented sites tends to fall after elections. You see the same pattern with DU. They've been trending downward recently, too:
3) This forum hasn't changed with the times. For example, as far as I know, we can't post direct YouTube or video links in a thread. Even some of the dead tree sellers' websites have started to integrate video into their offerings.
4) Along the same lines, Free Republic has pretty much remained a forum and hasn't tried to branch out into other things, like adding personal blogs. Daily Kos' numbers have gone up a lot recently as they've added things like their Wikipedia ripoff. Keeping it simple has its advantages, though, and I'm not sure adding additional crap for the sake of adding additional crap is the right way to go.
5) There are a small but loud number of single-issue posters that try to bully those who dare question the party line on those issues. In particular, anyone who tries to explain that we're not at war with all Muslims, that the immigration issue isn't as simple as it sounds or that there may be a legitimate reason why a politician/judge/prosecutor is doing something we'd rather he not do usually gets attacked. And sometimes, the more you try to inject reason with researched and linked facts, the more personal attacks become. Those with thin skin or who have better things to do just leave the site and don't come back.
6) Conservatives have been defeated and are split. The so-called "progressives" have become better organized at researching and selling their spin while lobbing issue grenades that sometimes split the traditional conservative base.