By what other means would so many of us here be so well informed that we're literally scaring the s**t out of Dems and liberals everywhere? They are unspeakably worried about how organized the conservative movement is right now, and it's 99% due to two sources... Rush Limbaugh and Free Republic. Free Republic is like a beacon, a smoke alarm, and a fact-checking library all rolled into one. It has helped expose liberalism's folly, the corruption of the Clintons and their cronies, organized protests and counter-protests, pressured political enemies, and served as a central source to alert concerned conservatives around the country to encroachments on our liberties like no other site anywhere. That's not overstating things. Thinks about it... name one other site you'd go to to get the timely information you need to fight the culture war going on today.
On that note, here are my thoughts about a solution. I don't think Free Republic should charge a membership fee. That's simply because there are so many people drawn here just to lurk who would never pay a monthly fee. If this site is a tool for educating liberals and the uninformed (sorry, that's redundant), I would hate to see anything imposed that would drive them away.
Rather, I think it's a good idea to step up awareness about the donation system. I realize maybe this post has done that, but prior to now, I wasn't aware of the donations page and therefore never donated. I will now.
Also, there are certainly many wealthy conservatives in this country who should be made aware of just how significant and influential Free Republic is. Maybe it's time for a Director of Development or something. But I know that there are many conservatives out there in powerful places who gain a lot of benefit from the tides that Free Republic has turned. It's time for them to acknowledge that and do what they can to fund it. In a country where people attend $500 a plate fundraisers, surely they can direct a little of that toward Free Republic considering the massive benefit this site has on the conservative movement in this country.
Good luck, Jim, and thank you for all your hard work and dedication. This country would be a different (scarier) place without Free Republic. Without Free Republic we may have had Al Gore in the White House and be sitting down to "negotiate" and "understand" the Al Queda network. Thank God we've got a real man in the White House, thanks in part to Free Republic.