Posted on 01/20/2025 5:43:57 PM PST by Yossarian
Hey Free Republic! Calling all old-timers, ones that go back 25 years on the forum!
In the 2000 election, FR was a lot more active, especially during the election and afterwards. We protested Al Gore during the horrible recount period, and then on January 20, 2001, the DC Chapter put on an awesome Inaugural Ball right there in Washington DC.
Arkansas Governor (now: Ambassador to Israel) Mike Huckabee had a rock band, and they played for us all night. It was quite an event!
I often do "360 degree" panoramic photography, so I thought I would document the night that way. Now, the film I used that night - even at 1600 speed - wasn't fast enough to properly capture the scenes in such a dark, fast moving action room. (Flash can't be used for VR photography.) Hence, I was hesitant to publish these panos - lots of parts of them are blurry.
But still, blurry or not, they are part of FR History, Inaugural History, and hence, part of US History! So I just published the panoramas up on my website.
Check them out here: Six panoramas from the 2001 FReeper Inaugural Ball, the Sacramento Al Gore protest, and election night 2000
(And, for good measure, I put in the panorama I shot at the Sacramento Al Gore protest, and a panorama from election night 2000 from a GOP party fellow FReepers "CounterCounterCulture" and "CoolGuy" went to. That's all part of FR history too!)
I remember it. I was there.
I was there! Fun times! We should have had a Freeper Ball this year. Sigh.......Still have my Sore Loserman signs;)
Asking forgiveness and permission to put this bit of FR Inauguration Night history into “Extended News” sidebar...
Panorama showing dignitaries paying respect to Jim Robinson at the FReeper Inaugural Ball
I thought about it. Didn’t see any chatter about it, tho.
You missed me. My feet were hurting so bad that night, that I ended up having to sit down most of the evening in one of the halls outside the room where Mike Huckabee’s band was playing.
Ping!
I was there too! Had a great time! I remember talking to Huckabee between sets - very chatty and nice guy. Couldn’t find myself in the pictures though.
Wow. Thanks for posting.
I was fumbling and sweating trying to get my panoramas taken properly. Stupid, maybe - it kept me from just enjoying myself. (I was telling myself: "This will be an 'important project'! Get it right!" )
Also, I felt sheepish because it was my first time wearing a proper tuxedo, and I didn't know that tuxedo shirt cuffs are meant to be folded backwards onto themselves. All night long I was shaking people's hands, with these ridiculously long cuffs sticking out of my tuxedo jacket!
I was there!
I was there with my now ex-wife. It was a terrific time. I finally met Dolly and a couple of the others.
Hard to believe…24 years!
I was there also, met JimRib, Governor Huckabee and pretty sure i caught Ann Coulter leaving, great time!
JimRob, jeez….
I was there 😍
One of the things I loved about this is that it the DC Chapter posted signs from the different Freeps of Clinton up on the walls of the ballroom. It made the event our own, nothing boring, nothing held back. The panos show this.
Ping! You still here?
Thank you very much. Good times.
I was at the March for Justice on November 1, 1998. I went to another FR rally in Washington, but although I can't remember the year, it was while Clinton was still in office. I also attended the House Manager's (Clinton Impeachment) Dinner held by the Free Congress Foundation in May 1999. And finally Free Republic's Inaugural Ball.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.