Is Free Republic too "Republican?"

Jim Robinson

[Jim Robinson]

Is Free Republic too "Republican?" I've been receiving a lot of complaints lately that FR is not really conservative, it's Republican. Is that a bad thing?

When I started FR (see the wayback machine) I don't think I even used the labels conservative or Republican. But, even though I was a registered Democrat at the time (I registered when I was very young), I was definitely anti-Democrat. And definitely anti-big government, anti-government corruption, anti-government abuse, anti-liberalism, etc. And I still am.

As FR became more and more popular, people started referring to it as a "conservative" web site and so eventually I posted the label to the front page. If it no longer applies, big deal. What's in a label? I'll change it to "Republican" if demand warrants.

I'm still anti-big government, anti-government corruption, anti-Democrat and anti-liberalism. I just happen to believe that in the current political environment we stand a better chance of defeating the left (liberalism/socialism/marxism, etc) by using the Republican Party to defeat the Democrats. The organization is there. The platform is there. The winning candidates are there. The dollars to run winning campaigns are there. The momentum is there. And the vast majority of the conservative voters are there.

Makes perfect sense to me. I want to defeat the left, and I want to do it as quickly as possible. I'll go with the organization that can get the job done.

My current goal is to defeat liberalism by defeating the Democrat Party. If that labels me a Republican, then so be it. If the vast majority of the FReepers want it so, then Free Republic will officially become the newest "Republican wing" of the Republican Party.

Long live Republicanism. Long live the Republic!'

What say you, FReepers?

[Non-Sequitur]

Nah. If anything it's too confederate.

[IronKros]

RIFF!!!

Sluggy is Nifty.

[NittanyLion]

I vote "nay".

[harpseal]

I agree on many of the points about why one needs to vote Republican. However, the Republican Party includes a liberal wing and if criticism of Republican positions becomes grounds for removal from this forum the forum will IMHO suffer. I still remeber the Don Morgan One who Knows wars of years back. Clearly this is your sandbox and you may do as you wish as we are merely invited guests but given such looming issues as trade policy the Assault Weapons Ban and other coming issues it could be way too limiting to take a position that Free Republic is an adjunct of the Republican Party.

Clearly getting consensus among those opposed to big government makes hearding cats seem like a pleasure but by adhereing to one party many Freepers will be driven away.

[LibKill]

It's your forum, but I like it the way it is now. Conservative.

[Psalm 73]

"Don't forget...Zell, although a conservative Democrat, is still a Democrat."

I don't vote strictly along party lines - why do you find this offensive?
I don't need Mark Racicot to do my thinking for me.
Zell Miller is an honourable man, and I would vote for him even if he was a (gasp) Libertarian.

[sonjay]

I vote nay.

IMO, Free Republic is and has always been about promoting our "free republic" -- not being a cheerleader for a particular political party.

[Physicist]

There's only one game in town. We have to play it.

No, we don't. We choose to play it, insofar as it represents our views. Bush and Cheney are pretty much "our guys", so it's an easy call right now. But what if that weren't the case? What if a true RINO (say, Arlen Specter) became the Republican nominee? Would we still be bound to the plantation? Not me, bossman.

As for Jim's "modest proposal", I like the fact that FR is a "big tent" without any ideological or party litmus test applied to every post and user. It's a place where Republicans, conservatives, libertarians and Libertarians can get together and rip each other's throats out hash things out. I vote nay.

[Jonx6]

I prefer the label "Constitutionalist" for Free Republic. After all, the Constitution is the source of our Republic.
Republican Party is too often a source of leftist crap and more big big goverment. I don't want them to think we back crap so long as it come from the pubbies.
Just my 2 cents.

[Coop]

This independent conservative votes "Negative" for the Republican label.

[tkathy]

I think it is a terrific website. I, too, am more anti-Democrat than Republican and I hope it does not become a forum of single issue ideologues.

[Glenn]

25 years ago, when I was a seedling, my boss asked where I was on the political scale. I answered thus:

I am a fiscal Republican and a morale Democrat.

Now I don't know what the hell to be.

[LocDoc]

Nay

[FITZ]

Republicans, conservatives, libertarians and Libertarians can get together and rip each other's throats out hash things out. I vote nay.

I agree --- Many who lean one way or another will after thinking about issues decide to vote for the party most likely to win but sometimes you have to hear good reasons to do that. People with conservative type leanings have to work together to defeat the Socialists --- a coalition can be people loosely joined but who have different issues.

[moneyrunner]

”I'm still anti-big government, anti-government corruption, anti-Democrat and anti-liberalism. I just happen to believe that in the current political environment we stand a better chance of defeating the left (liberalism/socialism/marxism, etc) by using the Republican Party to defeat the Democrats. The organization is there. The platform is there. The winning candidates are there. The dollars to run winning campaigns are there. The momentum is there. And the vast majority of the conservative voters are there.”

This is, in a nutshell, why Conservatives need the Republican party to implement their agenda. Those who get involved in real life understand this.

There are a subset of people in any group, especially a group that’s as open and accessible as FR, who engage in pipe dreams – in theories of such ideological purity that their feet never really touch the ground. Like the yellow-clad monks at airports, handing out their literature, they are ignored by the vast majority and irritate those whom they accost.

Everyone here owes you a great debt for creating an exciting form that is not only devoted to the spread of truth, but the active debate of the vital issues of the day. More than that, it has led to the creation of an activist base that is beginning to be felt by the politicians and commented on by the press herd.

Don’t change a thing, Jim. How does it feel to be as powerful as any Representative or any Senator?

[Dustoff45]

Holding conservative values transcends political party values. I remain a registered Independent.

I love to discuss conservative values with others, and when they bring the accusation of my being a Republican, I can truthfully say No!

Each ballot vote, is another opportunity to vote conservative.

I have held my nose and voted conservative democrats over liberal republicans.

It must have stemmed from all those years in Alaska enduring a Rino senator

I thank God for the free expression of this website, and for the truth that continues to march on as we respond to Abe Lincoln's cry that these that have died, will not have died in vain, but that a nation, so established will long endure.

[myrabach]

IMHO I would prefer FR to remain conservative rather than Republican for all the reasons stated here prior to my post. I personally feel there is more freedom in remaining conservative rather than identifying with a particular party.

[TigersEye]

No, we don't. We choose to play it, ...

True, in the absolute sense. You can always choose to play a losing hand.

But what if that weren't the case? What if a true RINO (say, Arlen Specter) became the Republican nominee?

What if? What if's are fun. The best 'what if' of all time was "what if a giant grasshopper reached through the window and drug you out?". Randy said that. Randy was about 7 Matt was 8 and I was 9. We laughed until our sides ached. Never played it again. We chose not to.

I vote nay.

So did I.

[hardhead]

Amen. I believe 'conservative' best describes the overall makeup of FR. The fact that most conservatives are Republicans, well that's another story. There are a lot of Republicans who are not conservative and are doing more damage to the party than those from without. I also happen to believe that the big world government (the UN) eventually will swallow us all. This is one evil organization! People make jokes about it and call others who are alarmed at this, 'tin hat loonies'. The fox is already in the henhouse and has already consumed half the chickens. Conservatism is the only weapon against it and whether conservatives are Reoublicans, independent, or other party affiliations, should not be important. The leftist bastards are running the world government now and their creeping communism is coming after us. They want to further their agenda of big government, euthanizing huge numbers of people (through abortion and at the other end of the life scale), elimination of God (not going to happen but they are trying), and controlling every aspect of human life from cradle to grave. Human life is looked upon as a commodity and they are implementing production controls at this very moment. Think about it. Vast numbers of dirt farmers in various parts of the world are NOT what the elite leftist scum want - it affects their profit margin. Their solution is the ultimate solution - kill them all and let God sort them out.

[OK]

The Republican Party is complicit in the destruction of the Constitution. This site better serves the cause of freedom and Constitutional government by being independent.

The way the statists advance their agenda is by taking movements like this and hijacking them. The people in charge of the movement are wooed and flattered by the powerful, and attend each others social events, etc. You eventually find yourself one of the ones you used to rail against.

Socializing with them is the first step to being neutered