I'm heading off for bed now ..... keep up the good work!
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.
When criticisms or 'charges', such as George Bush not being conservative or even very Republican when he supported things like CFR, amnesty for illegals, the PATRIOT act, and Homeland Security are made, the 'bots' spring into action and question the loyalty, intelligence and even the parentage of the person. (I've been away from FR for the better part of the last two months due to illness so I don't have more specific or recent examples).
"Some call Bush supporters "Bush-Bots" yet never look in the mirror and ask themselves if they take their guy to task be it Keyes, Buchanan, Phillips, Browne or any of the public faces of the various factions on FR."
I supported, worked for and voted for George W., but even if I did not, I still have the right to question and criticize his policies especially, I would think, on a forum whose purpose is to promote conservativism, right??
" You asked MM if she was capable of changing her mind with the clear implication that she was a "bot" and could not."
There was no implication. It was a flat out pronouncement.
"I have yet to see any mind "changed" on this site from the libertarians, paleo-conservatives or the Tancredo for President crowd."
It's highly unlikely that any regular posters here will ever change their minds. Perhaps some lurkers get an education and come over from "the dark side". In a group that I belong to, I'd say that we agree on about 90% of the key issues, but fight like hell for the other 10%. The percentages are different here, but the principle is much the same.
"So get off the high-horse and stop accusing those that support the GOP and Bush being sheep when there are more than one flock of sheep grazing in this meadow.
Nice turn of a phrase there, many of the 'GOP supporters" don't sound much different from the clinton sycophants that we all fought against before (and now).
because in each of those examples, conservatives do not speak with one voice either pro or con. I support the HSA and I think the Patriot Act should have remained an executive order but Congress did not allow that. I have seen exponentially more questioning of posters intelligence and conservative credentials by the so-called "real conservatives" on this site than from any one of the "Bush Bots". I posted the number of anti-bush/GOP active threads earlier. The best the other side could do was post one daily thread that is overtly pro-Bush. Don't give me the nonsense that Bush is not being criticized around here, it is 24/7 and it has been that way for as long as I have been here. This BS that this is a GOP mouthpiece is really getting old.
So many have lost sight of New York City and the Pentagon on 9/11. It was very disturbing to find nothing was done to secure our borders and this nations security, by midnight on 9/11.
15 months later, it's basically business as usual. An open border "free for all".
"Charges", may have may too loaded a word. Criticism may be more accurate. See my reply in #683 for more details.
Some comments I would like to add to yours ...... the BushBots who hang out on the one pro-Bush thread that you mention often voice concern about political issues on other threads. However, they realize that there is a time and a place for everything and post comments in the appropriate places.
On the Dose, they mention their appreciation for having a President who is, indeed, restoring dignity and honor to the White House; a President who loves his family and honors his commitments to them; a President who puts country before self and a vain search for legacy; a President who doesn't cause the nightly news to be XXX-rated.
These same people can be found on other threads voicing concerns about the education bill or CFR or other subjects. But they find the proper setting for doing so. And just because they don't have the identical concerns of some one-issue posters doesn't mean that they think the President can do no wrong.
I'm heading off for bed now ..... keep up the good work!
Now there is a terrifying thought. Get over your self.
Yep, my God given, Constitutionally protected liberty is absolute, but you seem okay with surrendering yours a little at a time.
"Talk about sheep."
I hold all pols to a certain standard while you make allowances for "R's" then you have the nerve to make a comment that I'm one of the sheep? Very strange indeed.
You BAAAA with the best of them you just think it is profound.
Thanks, GWV.
"I don't know why you bother."
Because I still care. I have not been online much lately, but something about the tone of the responses today on this thread just made me respond.
"You know, as soon as they figure out we're still here.......we'll be.........gone."
Shhh, don't tell them.
"Hope things are all well with you now."
Yes, finally. Thanks for your concern. I plan on being at CPAC. Will you be there?
My point is that what is happening I did not like under Clinton and just because it is now happening under Bush I don't like it any less. Anyone who ever said anything about Clinton allowing the illegals amnesty should be saying the same about Bush, if not then you are a hypocrite.
Maybe it has to do with hating a policy, no matter who is in. Not flopping over like a fish just because it is now your candidate that now has a policy that you once found appalling. I am disgusted more people are not taking a stand about issues.
MCD
I guess that I didn't really mean it then. :) More likely I skimmed over many of the replies, but your name stood out and I gave it more consideration than I did the others. When you disagree with someone, you defend your positions. You don't attack the other person. More thoughtful is probably the best way to describe your posts.
How about waiting for the "crime" to be committed before we have the lynching.
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