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?

[GeneralHavoc]

I think Free Republic is the perfect site.

You have folks that are smart enough to realize just because someone says they are a Republican doesn't mean they believe in the basic ideals of conservatism or libertarianism.

Take Arlen Specter for example.

Freepers are bright enough to see that he is outside the mainstream of these ideals, and should be replacxed with Congressman Pat Toomey. Or, at the very least, we don't defend him simply because he's an R...

[DoctorMichael]

You rock Doc.

Aw shucks. Twern't nothin'. Besides, Robinson's more responsible for just giving me a place to 'vent' than me venting.

[Gargantua]

I won't officially change the label on FR unless the vast majority of FReepers want it done, but I'd like to see the whining stop. If they don't want to be part of the team that knocks out the Democrats, then they should either leave, or at least knock off the crying about it.

Comments like that are rare from you, JimRob. Especially as such vitriol from you would surely offend some of your more loyal, long-standing supporters. I started wondering, what might this really be all about...?

Jim, if you did change FR to an officially "Republican" site, an official arm of the GOP, would FreeRepublic then receive funding from the Republican Party?

Is that what this entire tirade has been about? Because that is exactly the kind of nepotistic largesse that I thought FReepers were supposed to be against.

;-/

[OWK]

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.

Integrity, liberty, respect for rights, reverence for the Constitution, disdain for corruption and crony politics, hatred of socialism and extra-constitutional spending... these things used to matter to you.

Now they only matter to you insofar as democrats are concerned.

Your forum has become overwhelmed by excuse-mongering jackals, who make sure that criticism of the GOP is stifled, no matter how outrageous the affront to rights, liberty, and the Constitution.

You may as well change the sign on the front door and get it over with.

This place (you included) USED to stand for principle...

[OWK]

If the GOP doesn't enact conservative principles (such as CUTTING spending, REDUCING wealth redistribution, ELIMINATING arbitrary regulation--remember those?), why would I care whether they keep control of Congress?

If they only put forth judges who are palatable to liberals, why would I care whether they're approved?

If they only want tax cuts that provide "refunds" to people who never paid them in the first place, why would I want them passed?

"Earn" comes in when they put conservative principles into practice. The GOP is a means to an end, not an end in itself.

Ding.

[RAT Patrol]

I'm late to this thread, but I would say FR is too Republican. I'm going to support it either way, but I think it's unwise to set a Republican bar. There is an ideological battle going on within the party itself, and while we can all disagree here and there, I think we are a stronger force if we are founded on principles rather than affiliation. We need to fight the liberals both inside and outside the Republican party if winning is going to mean anything.

There is also a tendency by some (my view) to wrongly demand no criticism for anyone on our side. Do we not make ourselves "sheep" if following trumps principle. I like to know where I'm headed; and, no, blind faith doesn't cut it.

Leading is better than following. That might make for more turf fights, but as long as we debate issues without getting personal, I think that can be a positive.

Being conservative is better than being Republican.

Now I'll read the rest of the thread to find out why I'm probably wrong.

[RAT Patrol]

then they should either leave, or at least knock off the crying about it.

See, I think that's self-defeating. On the one hand, we must stick by the Republican label no matter what and be unified. On the other hand, if you disagree, leave or shut-up. Um...that doesn't match up, in my view. If we need all the help we can get then why run off minor dissent, especially when that dissent is coming from people with basically the same principles and values as everyone else on FR? Seems contradictory.

[Stu Cohen]

As the gap between Democrats and Republicans narrow (one might argue that they are simple factions of the same party), I don't think this would be a good idea.

Independent thought should be encouraged, and loyalty to a particular party for the sake of loyalty encourages intellectual laziness.

Flaws in the ideology and behavior of all political parties should be examined and debated equally. None should be given a pass over the other because it is the officially sacntioned party of participants. At that point, you become a tool.

Only when party affiliation becomes irrelevant, will you even have a shot at a being a "Free" Republic.

[floriduh voter]

IMO, at FR, we are too American, not too Republican. (please catch the sarcasm). I love being an American and wouldn't trade it for the world. Seriesly.

[Abe Froman]

I vote "NO". In the handful of responses I read, the people that seem to lean towards the "yes" answer argue that the Republican party is the only party that can defeat the left, so we must support it. However, you say yourself that your goal is to defeat the Left and Liberalism, and while parties may be a good generalization of who is on the Right and Left, it is not conclusive. In fact there are Republicans who are virtually no better than Democrats. We need to keep the fight against liberalism a matter of principle and not allow it to degenerate into party politics. We must oppose liberalism no matter what party it chooses to rear its head in. Take a look at George Bush's domestic agenda....other than a tax cut that was bastardized into a subsidy for those that pay no income tax, what good did it do to support the Republican candidate? We sacrificed victory over liberalism for a victory over a political party.

[floriduh voter]

As Free Republic grows, it becomes more of a cross section of the entire country. You may be getting more complaints simply due to the increase in visitors or registereds. Those people are here because we've been publicizing Free Republic at rallys and some savvy freepers are regulars on radio, tv and in print.

How do the complaints stack up against the compliments and praise? I say while there's a place for criticism, just take it in stride because the work's getting done here by private citizens. FV

[CyberCowboy777]

touché

[kapn kuek]

Please keep it as a conservative site.

My Congressman, Ralph Hall, is more conservative than most Republicans. And oh yeah, did I mention, he is a Democrat.

The problem with the Demoncratic Party is that it is controlled by its far left wing. We should work to get Conservatives elected to all political parties, not just the Republican Party. We should have two political parties fighting for the conservative vote! Let the leftist move to their own insignificant third party.

[b4its2late]

Call it an "Anti Liberal/Democrat" since it's the dems (Conservatives and Republicans alike) and their politics we trying to defeat.

[Neets]

It doesn't matter what you call it...

anyone with a bitch about FR is gonna bitch about it regardless.

[MeekOneGOP]

Amen !

[MeekOneGOP]

What is a conservative?
(Why Williams may not become a Republican, says the naive idealist)

See #21.

[steveegg]

If the vast majority of the FReepers want it so, then Free Republic will officially become the newest "Republican wing" of the Republican Party.

Unless we take over the Republican Party (which I don't see), then nay.

[Kevin Curry]

Don't end me any more insulting FReepmail, Schmuck-wit. I won't bother reading it. I'll simply flush it unceremoniously just like I do all mind-manure.

[OWK]

You don't do anything unceremoniously.