Freepers drive the leftwing Der Spiegel mad

Davids Medienkritik ^ | 7 March 2004 | David Kaspar

[Jabba the Nutt]

SPIEGEL ONLINE With Large Pro-Bush User Base

The votes are in. It's official: two thirds of SPIEGEL ONLINE visitors rate President George W. Bush's job performance as "very good" (59 per cent) or "good" (8 per cent).

An anonymus SPIEGEL ONLINE source described the results as a "complete surprise to us, comparable only to the demise of comrade Erich Honecker". At this very moment, the left-wing SPIEGEL ONLINE editorial team has convened for a strategy session with their media consultants to determine their future course.

"In terms of ideology, everything is now up for grabs," said the source. "We might even endorse Bush's re-election. Kerry's is a Knackwurst, anyway."

In a related development, the results of the SPIEGEL ONLINE poll caused Germany's foreign minister Joschka Fischer to send a message to President Bush, asking for a renewal of the German-American friendship: "My name is Joschka Fischer. I am the foreign minister of Germany and I want to negotiate."

In the meantime, SPIEGEL ONLINE has issued a public statement asking "all internet users with Pro-Bush sentiment to participate in our poll. We advise you to check the web site of David Kaspar for further instructions."

(Translation check by Raymond Drake)

Here's reaction from Bill Dawson, an American living outside of Vienna and he posts at Bill Spricht.

Ach, die arme Leute bei Spiegel!

[posted by bill | 9:39 PM Vienna | perma] Poor, poor Spiegel (German mass-market, extreme America-hating glossy). They found themselves in the embarrassing position today of explaining to their website visitors why it was that 60% of the votes cast over the weekend at their online poll gave President Bush the highest possible rating of "1". And because they were embarrassed, humiliated and probably downright pissed-off (die Arme! :-( ), they had to react with vehemence. Not just a "ha, ha, okay you guys got us!", but a THIRTY PARAGRAPH ARTICLE, well-researched indeed, complete with definitions of such terms as "FREEP" and lots and lots of references to that crazy, Clinton-hating American right-wing. FreeRepublic.com, the website of "the ultraconservative activist Jim Robinson", earns most of their venom, with their compatriot David coming in a very close second.

The detail in this article is impressive indeed! They very obviously researched FreeRepublic and read many of the entries at David's site. They looked into FreeRepublic's history and learned, for example, that big media outlets have threatened FreeRepublic with legal action because of the use of copyrighted material.

I must say, all-in-all this is by far the best-researched Spiegel article I have seen in a long time! If they keep this up, I may have to re-think my opinion of their pathetic, shoddy, yellow journalism.

[UPDATE: For all of you unfamiliar with Der Spiegel's fabulously objective journalistic style, I refer you to a posting of mine from September 2003. Then I even forgot myself for a moment once and praised a Spiegel article.]

[Jabba the Nutt]

Here's the link to the Spiegel article, wherein 'Freeping' is defined as disturbing the meetings of the Democrats, tearing down or pasting over their posters with our posters and forging Democrat posters. Ah, I'm guessing they're referring to the Sore-Loserman signs.

Spiegel Online

[null and void]

Already posted. By Jim Robinson

You need tons click "co-ordinating" (Free Republic - The conservative click Guerilla)

[RWR8189]

LOL

Poor socialists...

We ruined their fun.

[Jim Robinson]

"oh veih, freeping is just great - got george selected as well, didn't it?"

Aye, now that was a great FReep wasn't it.

[Slings and Arrows]

[Jabba the Nutt]

Actually, Jim posted a translation of the Spiegel article, I've posted comments on the article. One is by a German media critic and the other is an ex-pat American in Austria.

[hellinahandcart]

you guys just damaged your own cause big time by showing that internet polls aren't worth the eight bits they're stored on.

That was the whole point, Fritz. God, you guys are dense...

[Deb]

What a pathetic example of euro-trash, self-inflicted propaganda.

Ever think...maybe you're wrong? Try it.

[Gabz]

I smell ozone!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I should have long been in bed - but this is just too much fun tonight!!!

eine bier, bitte!!!!!

[Gabz]

having fun yet??????

[clintonh8r]

I don't expect anybody to pay for my retirement. How about you, loser?

[July 4th]

' You need to click "ABSTIMMEN" ' is going to be a regular feature around here. It's my tag now! :)

[bonfire]

PLEASE don't ZOT the kook just yet. It's fun to bat them around for awhile.

[Petronski]

Jawohl Herr Obersturmbahnfurher!

[Slings and Arrows]

"My name is Joschka Fischer. I am the foreign minister of Germany and I want to negotiate."

LOL!

The proper response is "Secretary of State Powell sends his regards."

[twntaipan]

Heh, heh.

[RightthinkinAmerican]

Ahhh, Der Spiegel. I prefer Der Sears or Der Penney's, but to each his own.

[Psycho_Bunny]

Oh, that's right!  The "folks" over at Democratic Underground never "DUh" online polls......

[Charles Henrickson]

[Calvin Locke]

"My name is Joschka Fischer. I am the foreign minister of Germany and I want to negotiate...

. ...exile to Port-au-Prince....

[Charles Henrickson]

[Charles Henrickson]

[Texas_Jarhead]

right leaning opinions are not allowed in public discourse. only a left wing echo chamber will do...

[GOPJ]

You're in Austria? Do you know how many Freepers live outside the U. S?

ex-pat American in Austria.

[oyez]

Kerry's is a Knackwurst, anyway.

And Knackwurst is good with mustard not ketchup,

[RandallFlagg]

5....4.....3........2...........

[raloxk]

Congratulations

[raloxk]

Congratulations

[Charles Henrickson]

"Free Republic": Disturb,
manipulate, demonstrate
for the right thing

[Charles Henrickson]

Kerry is like that or so a crack sausage.

[Charles Henrickson]

help to drive the German left one into the insanity.

[Charles Henrickson]

geigerf
Since Mar 9, 2004

[CaraM]

When I went to Spiegel Online to cast my vote in the poll, I found another very interesting article: "Republikaner attackieren Flip-Flop Kerry" (Republicans attack flip-flop Kerry).
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,289498,00.html

In it Spiegel laments that Republicans have a well-researched diary of Kerry's varying opinions and votes. What interested me the most is that they mention an online boxing game (Kerry Vs. Kerry) which you can receive by e-mail from what I supposed was the Republican party. The boxing match demonstrates Kerry's flip-flopping. Has anyboy heard of this game? There was no link provided by Spiegel.

[RandallFlagg]

Well? You seem to have been granted a stay of execution. You care to back up any of your absurdities to us? You care to take any of us on in an intelligent debate?

We'll be waiting.

[idkfa]

Hello Franz...

[CaraM]

I found the address for the boxing game "Kerry Vs. Kerry"

Maybe this is old news, but I'm enjoying this, especially since Spiegel is so upset about it.

http://www.gop.com/kerryvskerry/

[JulieRNR21]

Speaking of Flip-Flops....did the Germans know about Kerry's favorite footwear?

[Jabba the Nutt]

No, Bill Dawson of Bill Spricht lives in Austria and I don't think he's a Freeper. He mention Free Republic and has probably visited.

There's a few Freepers everywhere. Ronin and AmericanInTokyo are in Japan.

[hosepipe]

Der Spiegel ist gefarten outen dem gehonker und snotischer ist gefallen uber die vatherland..

[RandallFlagg]

C'mon, Beavis. You can't slip under the radar for much longer. I haven't had any liberal meat all month and my grill's warming.

[cspackler]

george won't pay for your retirement.

Nor should he. Personally, when I plan for my retirement I don't even take Social Security into account. I pay the top limit in every year, but like most responsible Conservatives, I am planning now to be responsible for my own retirement. I contribute as much as I can afford to my 401K, I have life insurance policies to take care of my family should something happen to me. If I do get some of the many thousands of dollars that I have paid in every day of my life since I was 15, that will be gravy. Typical nanny state BS...

[kimoajax]

Hey, those Kerry Flop Flops would make a good fund raiser for some Conservative ortganization.

[Fenris6]

the Spiegel article, wherein 'Freeping' is defined as disturbing the meetings of the Democrats, tearing down or pasting over their posters with our posters and forging Democrat posters

What a distortion! They make *us* sound violent - but its the socialists in this country that have met peaceful protests with violence. They prob refer to protestors as "rioters", unless of course, the protest dovetails with their politics - then they call it "free expresion". LOL.

BTW - I thought Europe was supposed to be all "sophisticated"? But apparently the concept of "satire" is foreign to them.

[texasflower]

I read that story last night. Well, the part I could get translated on the free translator.

It was fun to see Kerry's "flip/flops" in German.

[CaraM]

Speaking of Flip-Flops....did the Germans know about Kerry's favorite footwear?

Good one! (These flip-flops will go into my newly established Anti-Kerry fact book.)
Well, I don't think the Germans had ever heard of Kerry until recently. I'm sure they like him for his leftist leanings.

[CaraM]

I read that story last night. Well, the part I could get translated on the free translator.

Let me know what you need translated. I was born in Germany...but don't hold that against me...smiles.

[texasflower]

I don't mean to criticize your post, but I have to tell you that you used the word "responsible" in your post.

They don't understand that language. :)

[DeFault User]

With a little help from Google, here's the link:

http://www.gop.com/kerryvskerry/default.asp?uid=0

[texasflower]

Ok! Great, I'll keep you in mind the next time I have a German article.

I have come across them a couple of times and that free translator only does a few words at a time.

(no, I won't hold it against you that you are German. Many of my ancestors were German. I've never had the pleasure of going there.)