Pioneer Behind Grass-Roots Conservative Web Site Gets Ready to Do Battle Again (Free Republic)

AP via St. Louis Today ^ | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 | John Ellis

[kristinn]

A Democrat is poised to take the reins of power in Washington, D.C., and Fresno resident Jim Robinson is feeling a sense of deja vu.

It was President Bill 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 RealClearPolitics.

[StarCMC]

Ah! The Post-Disgrace. Hate that rag! Kudos to FR though.

[Liberty Valance]

[trillabodilla]

I heart Free Republic!

trillabodilla
proud FReeper since 5/26/04

[AliVeritas]

Here if you need me.

[jessduntno]

“I’m ready to spit nails. Just say the word.”

Glad I re-read that. It sounded so painful... but NOW I will say, I’m with you!

[TruthWillWin]

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.

How could someone be a political expert and know about FR?

[MindBender26]

>>>>>We hash existing news

We do that and much more.

There are at least 8 or 9 former/retired big time conservative journalists here who are writing great original stuff. I know one VERY well known reporter, who still works on-air, who uses FR as a way go get stories out into the public enough so he/she can get his/her editors to allow him/her to run with them on the network.

We ARE the MSM of 2020. We're just here 12 years early!

[MindBender26]

I would remind all FReepers of the words of (I think it was) Samuel Adams:

We had all better hang together, or we will all surely hand separately.

[lewisglad]

"Free Republic: The Grandaddy of them All" (political websites)

< whoa nelly! Has a nice ring to it...

[Eagle Eye]

Imagine when freerepublic.com becomes a household name...

Don't know about your house but in mine it already is.

[MindBender26]

I would remind all FReepers of the words of (I think it was) Samuel Adams:

We had all better hang together, or we will all surely hand separately. MORE: may have been Franklin, but it sounds more like S. Adams.

[SumProVita]

“>> Many of its postings have a decidedly fringe feel.

Welcome to the edge of tomorrow. Christ and our Founding Fathers were fringe in their day too.”

EXCELLENT perspective!! ;-)

[lonevoice]

Fringe pajamas for all!

[Shelayne]

FREE REPUBLIC ROCKS!

Woo Hoo!

[lewisglad]

Fringe is good.

[Williams]

In my very simple view, Free Republic is mostly posted news stories, followed by comments. Not sure how that allows us to “make things up”.

[Shelayne]

But, at least it’s nice the AP admits their stuff is made up.

Heh heh.

Doing their usual reporting with no regard for the facts. Dolts.

[Xenophon450]

I believe many who arrive at FR have natural proclivities towards liberalism, they know nothing else. FR changed me, although I had always been against strengthening government power, the studious observations from its many erudite posters enabled me to articulate it in a much better fashion then before. It introduced my economically ignorant point of view (As evidenced by some of my earlier posts) to the Free Market. Me and the Free Market have hit it off ever since. Never heard of Ludwig von Mises until reading on FR, and I am at a loss for whatever else I may have missed if not for FR.

As a child I always loved current events, geography, history and even watched the CBS nightly news, which allowed liberalism to seep in almost unbeknownst to my conscious mind. Also Public schools may have had a hand in this dubious brainwashing endeavor. ;-P

Thanks Jim, for changing one individual for the better. I am sure the same could be said for many others.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT