Of course. If it weren't for Drudge, FR might -- I said, "might" -- still be relatively unknown.
FR is the secret that net insiders don't like to talk about out loud because they think there is no such thing as bad publicity. Despite being one of the closest-knit web communities in existence as well as one of the stickiest sites on the net, FR's never been written up in Wired or most other major net publications, and have only been mentioned by Yahoo! Internet Life ONCE (in November issue about the web response to 9-11; the article was written by a contributor to Salon).
When given the opportunity to specifically name FR, writers and TV-Radio reporters will rarely say more than "a conservative website" or "an internet group." When the mainstream does mention FR, it's usually in a negative light -- much in the same way that Drudge is constantly referred to as "gossipmonger" and worse.
Drudge's complaints about FR were well-founded (racist postings -- most likely by disruptors -- on some 1999 Danny Williams threads. They were promptly deleted by JimRob, but the damage was done). I have my own complaints, but I air them rather than leaving in a huff.
IMHO, Drudge is the horse that brung us. He may not be a close friend, but he's on our side.
Why wouldn't Drudge approve of Free Republic?
I guess someone has probably noted, by now, that many of us got here via a link at DrudgeReport. I think some of our whackier posters and/or disruptors caused the link to be removed. I'm not a huge Drudge fan, but don't begrudge him any traffic we send his way.
Socialists in Congress? Click on the zeppelin, Grasshopper.
18 posted on 11/30/01 1:08 PM Pacific by BellStar
Drudge didn't like some FR posters badmouthing him; if I remember correctly, JimRob doesn't like FR posters doing it either. Drudge has more than paid his dues; without him, we may still be in the dark about many of the Clinton wrongdoings. If people would stop being critical of him, he may link again, who knows?