Posted on 11/11/2008 12:03:22 AM PST by Jim Robinson
A Democrat is poised to take the reins of power in Washington, D.C., and Fresno resident Jim Robinson is feeling a sense of déjà vu.
It was President Clinton's 1992 election that sparked Robinson's political activism, driving him to create a Web site that made him a grass-roots leader among conservatives before Clinton's term was over.
This year, as Barack Obama prepares to sweep into office on another tide of Democratic votes, Robinson and denizens of that Web site, freerepublic.com, are preparing to do battle again. "We'll double and redouble our efforts to fight for what is right," Robinson says. "We've got people just spitting nails."
Free Republic, founded by Robinson in September 1996, doesn't attract much attention from the national press and is not well-known among political experts. Many of its postings have a decidedly fringe feel.
But long before Red State, Daily Kos and Little Green Footballs arrived on the Internet political scene, Free Republic was building an audience -- and becoming a formidable political force among conservatives and libertarians that is admired even by some who disagree with its political philosophy.
In a study last month by the Internet ratings firm comScore, Free Republic ranked fifth among political blogs, just behind heavyweights The Huffington Post, Politico, Drudge Report and Real Clear Politics.
The Huffington Post had more than 4.5 million "unique visitors" -- those who visit a Web site more than once during a specified period -- during the election season, according to comScore. Politico, Drudge Report and Real Clear Politics all had more than 1.1 million unique visitors. Free Republic was fifth with 987,000 unique visitors, according to comScore.
Robinson said Free Republic has more than 300,000 registered users, though not all are active on the site, and its normal 1 million daily page views grew...
(Excerpt) Read more at fresnobee.com ...
PING
Hawaii GoE
Permission to come aboard , sir !
The news networks are searching Jim,I think its high time to realize that yes there are some of us that tend to get over enthusiastic about Muslims and I profess to be one, so as I see it there is a new course laid out for us and we need to be aware of the following sea.
Take care Jim and thanks, we back you up completely.
Many of its postings have a decidedly fringe feel. I beg your pardon we are the conservative movement!
We believe in Smaller government, Free Speech, Right to bear arms with out carry permits, Religion, the rights of the unborn!
JimRob, keep on spitting those nails!
LucyT, article mentions some “debunked” 0bama background.
Proud to be a ‘nail-spitter’.
And, for heaven’s sake - fringe?
Since when did normal, patriotic Americans become ‘fringe’?
The writer, obviously, hasn’t spent much time on Free Republic.
Thanks again, Jim, for founding Free Republic.
This should be read by all people that believe one person cannot make a difference. Jim, you’ve made a difference.
Yea thats what i was thinking ! This forum was and is a Godsend it has been since i joined it ...
I cut my teeth on HTML on this site and heve enjoyed FReeperdom ever after ...
Jim used to be on a program called Firetalk we had some great discussions on that forum just wish he had time for more ...
I've been a Free Republic member since 1999. I admire JRob and what he's done. But Free Republic today is very different from when I joined. Back then, it was about ideas about government reform; about rebellion from the dominant left-wing Presidency and press. Now its devolved into an often demented hate-fest against primarily Muslims. I cannot believe half the conspiracies I hear; rumors that even moderate Arab states (some of which base US troops) are trying to form a caliphate to take on the West. It is not uncommmon at all to hear the sentiment there that the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim. Now I'm not Muslim, but to hear this invective day in and day out is just sickening. Sadly, JRob has turned his forum over to the wrong crowd -- FreeRepublic hardly will serve as any meaningful community against Obama.
Cal Evans | Homepage | 11.11.08 - 12:15 am | #
The public will take that comment, along with the following claim from the article,
And Free Republic played a key role in driving an anonymous chain e-mail that falsely claimed Obama had concealed ties to radical Islam, according to Danielle Allen, a professor of social science at the Princeton, N.J.-based Institute for Advanced Study who studied the rumor.
and the opinion they will form of Free Republic is that it's an anti-Muslim hate site.
denizens of that Web site
I sir, am not a denizen, but a netizen!
I am Joe the plumber.
I am JimRob.
I am every free man
and woe to those who would enslave me.
I’m not a denizen - I’m a minion!
Is that like a maxion only smaller?
Maybe we are cohorts?
I’ve sewn fringe onto all my clothing. It’s my subtle little way of letting everyone know I’m a FReeper.
LOL! Anyway, the tin-foil hat is so yesterday...
Seriously, the 46 million Americans who did not vote for The One would probably share many if not most of the views here. That’s a pretty big fringe...
So lovin' that tagline!
Thank you for starting Free Republic. It has made a huge, positive difference in my life. Nice pic in the article too!
A long time ago, but officially only since Nov. 4th. 08.
Awesome!
I always wanted to be a denizen.
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