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Free Republic losing its impact
Alamance Independent ^ | Unknown | Matt Maggio

Posted on 12/01/2002 1:23:55 PM PST by BraveMan

What a long way Free Republic has come! From its birth in 1996 as what began as just a place where hardcore conservatives to post the latest news and analyze it, Free Republic two years later had a significant role in the neutralization of the Clintons - as it became the organizing point for enormous protests ridiculing Bill Clinton over Monicagate everywhere he went in the U.S. early in Monicagate throughout 1998. Some top liberals even blame Freepers for Al Gore's defeat.

Very early in Monicagate, Freepers brought Free Republic out of just being a sort of giant cybercafe for dissidents to talk things over - and made it into a very-effective organizing point for giant protests against liberals and liberalism, like the one in Houston at a Clinton fundraiser that not only like most greeted Clinton with hundreds of dissidents ridiculing him for his adultery and perjury, but even found a fire engine to hang a giant sign on that read "Bill Clinton Is A Four-Alarm Fraud." Freepers in Florida hung a giant sign on a cabin cruiser to float in a strategic position just offshore a fundraiser of his there. And here in North Carolina, about 30 Freepers picketed an Al Gore fundraiser in Raleigh's Volvo district in May 1999 - some dressed as Buddhist monks. The Clintons/Gore Regime just couldn't escape the conservatives from hell.

Other liberals were no luckier. The "Rosiecott" that ended Corporate America's willingness to indulge leftist politics was in large part organized on Free Republic. Freeper-organized boycotts were to Rosie O'Donnell's career what a later gay boycott was to advice-talk radio host Dr. Laura's.

But - just six years after its founding, just four years after the height of its power - Free Republic today is largely a total waste of time. As a reader commented, it isn't accomplishing anything anymore - with the giant protests against liberals formerly organized on it by Freepers over; as he agreed last week, the sole positive things it now does are to provide rapid dissemination of news, even from small-town dailies, to dissidents everywhere - and to guide dissidents to the various dissident newspapers that really are hardcore.

Some social issues are almost unmentionable on Free Republic today. More than one Freeper has griped that posted articles on immigration often just disappear. Other Freepers have been just blacklisted from Free Republic - for offending the sensibilities of founder Jim Robinson or the small clique under him that largely actually runs Free Republic now.

Today, Free Republic is every bit as handicapped as founder Jim Robinson - but by another problem. To all too many Freepers now, anyone calling themselves a Republican is God's brother - and cannot be criticized, no matter how Clintonesque their views on many social issues may be. And to all too many Freepers now, Pres. Bush really is God - uncriticizable, no matter what.

To make Free Republic great again, a number of things have to happen. First, all involved - from ordinary Freepers to "JimBob" himself - have to accept that having an (R) next to one's name doesn't make a politician beyond criticism. Second, all involved must also accept that Pres. Bush isn't God. And then, all Freepers must commit to doing again what made Free Republic great - hounding any politician at odds with Red Nation's masses on social issues; if that means picketing Pres. Bush everywhere he goes if he hints at amnesty for illegal aliens or tacit support of racial quotas, that's what it takes.

Free Republic didn't become great by being a Chinese-style "Democracy Wall" for dissidents to post articles from "mainstream" newspapers to and then discuss them. It can only became great again the same way it originally got great.


TOPICS: Editorial; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: antifreeper; opuslist; tos
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To: BraveMan
"Some top liberals even blame Freepers for Al Gore's defeat."


21 posted on 12/01/2002 1:39:09 PM PST by Diogenesis
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To: BraveMan
A lot of important things are going on now. With Republicans finally in control - we now have a better chance of really getting something accomplished. FreeRepublic is here to remind Republicans what it means to be a Republican. I'd like to think the fight is just beginning.
22 posted on 12/01/2002 1:39:18 PM PST by Maurice Tift
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To: BraveMan
This guy misses the point entirely. History has been made by this website. THAT is news. Because of FreeRepublic, Fox News, talk radio, other internet sites, etc. the tide is turning away from what Robert Bork called extreme individualism and egalitarianism that was born in the 1960's and reached its zenith in the 1990's. This website has a tremendous influence.
23 posted on 12/01/2002 1:40:16 PM PST by groanup
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To: sugarbabe; All
For the record, I disagree with the author's statements . . .

I have valid accounts under the name of BraveMan in LibertyPost, Lucianne, PipeBombNews and (shudder) DemocraticUnderground. With rare exception, this is where I go to uncover the unvarnished truth . . .

I posted this article here to give FReepers a chance to defend themselves. It is, after all, Freeper opinions and commentary that make this site what it is.

24 posted on 12/01/2002 1:41:12 PM PST by BraveMan
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To: Willie Green
Mutant kids????

Sounds like the jerk running that website is pissed that there is not World Church of the Creator junk posted here.

25 posted on 12/01/2002 1:41:22 PM PST by Bella_Bru
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To: BraveMan
to provide rapid dissemination of news, even from small-town dailies, to dissidents everywhere - and to guide dissidents to the various dissident newspapers that really are hardcore.

What is this "dissidents" crap?
Freepers energized mainstream America and it's delegated fringe status?

Sorry mac, but you're still delusional, even in the guise of a conservative.

26 posted on 12/01/2002 1:42:22 PM PST by Publius6961
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To: Senator Pardek
I know it's not an opus (and most are better than this), but it has that same sort of 'flavor'.
27 posted on 12/01/2002 1:42:41 PM PST by eddie willers
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To: BraveMan

I don't get the logo. Do you assert that Michigan's Upper Peninsula is part of Wisconsin?

28 posted on 12/01/2002 1:43:48 PM PST by martin_fierro
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To: martin_fierro
I have dual citizenship. I'm a Cheesehead and a Yooper . . .
29 posted on 12/01/2002 1:44:50 PM PST by BraveMan
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To: groanup
This website has a tremendous influence.

Indeed. It has pushed on the rudder of the ship of state.

30 posted on 12/01/2002 1:45:00 PM PST by elbucko
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To: BraveMan
Not everything is perfect on FR but this is harsh.

This is pretty harsh. FR is not handicapped, and to reference Jim Robinson in this analogy is harsh and tacky. I understand their have been rifts but this is harsh.

31 posted on 12/01/2002 1:46:46 PM PST by TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
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To: BraveMan
I haven't noticed any PC discipline on FR at all, especially with all the bigots suddenly choosing our forums to come out of the closet with blanket condemnations of Islam and those whom they identify with it.

It's increasingly mainstream (not just Republican) to call for greater scrutiny of those who share characteristics with terrorists and I'm all for it. Heck, once we're beyond the most precarious time for international cooperation, I hope we play hardball with folks who undermine U.S. interests even if they don't share those characteristics.

That being said, two of our interests are the spread of liberty and justice throughout the world. Declaring war on persons who happen to identify with muslims, but check out to not have pro-terrorist or even anti-American sympathies, does not serve those values.

Free Republic is stronger and more influential than ever, but should be more concerned about the marginalization that follows if bigotry is taken to characterize our dialogue. Ya think Jeb Bush will write even indirect 'thank you' notes to a white supremacist forum?
32 posted on 12/01/2002 1:49:12 PM PST by dwills
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To: Bella_Bru
Sounds like the jerk running that website is pissed that there is not World Church of the Creator junk posted here.

IMHO, there are two distinct possibilities for this jerks background:

  1. He actually is a bigotted racist.
  2. He's some kind of left-wing globalist posting garbage to make right-wing conservatives look bad.

I'm not gonna waste my time trying to figure out which.
I just sincerely wish that garbage posted on that site will be banned from appearing in this forum.

33 posted on 12/01/2002 1:50:04 PM PST by Willie Green
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To: Mark

He claims that at least one news article gets added to his looney website each and every day!

34 posted on 12/01/2002 1:50:14 PM PST by Cultural Jihad
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To: BraveMan
P-A-N-I-C !

I am so proud of you freepers, including myself. And am so happy that we are being criticized. Do you know what that means? Do you know what that means? Well let me tell you....that means that they are scared of us just like they are of Rush, Fox News, Drudge and others like them. That we have impacted the political scene and taken the prize from the liberals and put our claim on it. Yesssssss sir! Give yourselves a pat on the back. Just go back and read the article again. We are being blamed for turning things around and they hate us. It's great!!!! Remember when we thought everything was lost but we persevered and kept on keeping on? Well, this is the fruit of our labour. WE CONTROL NOW ! Don't you just love it? They are scared of us. WOW!!!

35 posted on 12/01/2002 1:50:28 PM PST by shiva
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To: BraveMan
The number one thing that affected FR here was the removal of Klinton, and his man Alwhore's defeat. What happened? We all lost our top enemy. The name Klinton just brought out the worst(and best) in people. No one had the negative reaction on the right among conservatives, libertarians, and all those inbetween that Klinton had.

After that, now what? Everyone goes in different directions. We all won(initial battle). I know which direction I'm going. Others have different directions. Some have similar directions. That's the main thing I see here. Some parrot Bush. Some overlook things Bush has done since they personally like him. Others are distrustful of Bush based on some actions. Some can't stand him and put him along with Klinton. Some are waiting and seeing.

It's JimRob's ship, and he steers it the way he wants to. If people don't like it, there are options availible to them. He's been more than fair to me in the past 3 1/2 years.

36 posted on 12/01/2002 1:50:39 PM PST by Dan from Michigan
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To: BraveMan
More than one Freeper has griped that posted articles on immigration often just disappear.

Now that's funny!

There shall be no mercy.
101 things that the Mozilla browser can do that Internet Explorer cannot.

37 posted on 12/01/2002 1:50:58 PM PST by rdb3
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To: dwills

Well said. Bigotry and flaky ideology.

38 posted on 12/01/2002 1:53:12 PM PST by Cultural Jihad
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To: Willie Green
Well, well, well!

Great find, Willie. Kinda sums it up a bit, doesn't it?

There shall be no mercy.
101 things that the Mozilla browser can do that Internet Explorer cannot.

39 posted on 12/01/2002 1:54:08 PM PST by rdb3
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To: BraveMan
I mostly agree with this.
40 posted on 12/01/2002 1:54:19 PM PST by RAT Patrol
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