JRandomFreeper hasn't explicitly made that point in his previous posts to me, which might explain why I didn't challenge it ansel12. JRandomFreeper did say "You have a greatly inflated idea of what Freepers can do. We are as a passing of cabbage wind in a tornado, in the large scheme of things." I challenged that by referring to "Rathergate". 2000 (remember "Sore-Loserman"?) and 2010 are also years where FR was influential. At least, that sounds pretty influential to me.
These were positive influences that every Freeper remembers, but the idea that negative posts can result in negative influences doesn't seem to register. Fine, ask and you shall receive.
Hate Speech Against Malia Obama On Conservative Blogs
New England Patriots Forums - PatsFans.com Patriots Fan Messageboard (Free Republic mentioned)
Commissioner Sends Racist Email Using Official Account (Free Republic mentioned)
Jazz Bulletin Board (yup, Free Republic mentioned)
As should be clear above, what's posted at Free Republic doesn't stay at Free Republic, but goes far and wide. The thread was pulled, but not before everyone above and more saw it. I would expect you to come back with some comment that the left calls anyone who opposes Obama a racist (and you're right), but what was posted above goes way beyond opposition.
I don't believe Free Republic in itself is a racist web site, but I've seen the cracks about Michelle Obama being compared to a monkey. Like it or not, that has roots in our countriy's racist past, and that's how it will be taken by outsiders. When we go posting crap like that while supporting Conservative candidates, guess what gets reflected on our Conservative candidates.
I'll probably be banned for posting all of this, but if Freepers get the message that what they post can hurt our cause, it would be worth it.
If you think that freerepublic is hurting your rinos and being racist, then you need to ping the owner.