Pioneer Behind Grass-Roots Conservative Web Site Gets Ready to Do Battle Again (Free Republic)

AP via St. Louis Today ^ | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 | John Ellis

[kristinn]

A Democrat is poised to take the reins of power in Washington, D.C., and Fresno resident Jim Robinson is feeling a sense of deja vu.

It was President Bill Clinton's 1992 election that sparked Robinson's political activism, driving him to create a Web site that made him a grass-roots leader among conservatives before Clinton's term was over.

This year, as Barack Obama prepares to sweep into office on another tide of Democratic votes, Robinson and denizens of that Web site, freerepublic.com, are preparing to do battle again.

"We'll double and redouble our efforts to fight for what is right," Robinson says. "We've got people just spitting nails."

Free Republic, founded by Robinson in September 1996, doesn't attract much attention from the national press and is not well-known among political experts. Many of its postings have a decidedly fringe feel.

But long before Red State, Daily Kos and Little Green Footballs arrived on the Internet political scene, Free Republic was building an audience -- and becoming a formidable political force among conservatives and libertarians that is admired even by some who disagree with its political philosophy.

In a study last month by the Internet ratings firm comScore, Free Republic ranked fifth among political blogs, just behind heavyweights The Huffington Post, Politico, Drudge Report and RealClearPolitics.

[SFR]

Great job Jim.

[savedbygrace]

Hey, look at me! I’m a denizen.

[magslinger]

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

Free Republic was the first to let users set the agenda -- an approach later copied by the left-leaning Democratic Underground.

DU is "left-leaning"? Gee, you can't really tell some days.

[editor-surveyor]

"Free Republic, founded by Robinson in September 1996, doesn't attract much attention from the national press and is not well-known among political experts."

Better known than John Ellis, who ever he is, I bet.

[Lancey Howard]

Wow!

[Lancey Howard]

Free Republic, founded by Robinson in September 1996, doesn't attract much attention from the national press and is not well-known among political experts. Many of its postings have a decidedly fringe feel.

Okay, so the author Ellis is clueless.

[editor-surveyor]

"University of California....need I say more!"

Yes, you need to say that its the "Angela Davis" Campus. (the mighty Bananna Slugs)

[vox_freedom]

We'll double and redouble our efforts to fight for what is right," Robinson says. "We've got people just spitting nails."

Yep, and yep.

[wizr]

Got so tired of seeing all the hyphenated-American posts, I thought of having “I AM AN AMERICAN, WHAT THE H*** ARE YOU?”
embroidered on my motorcycle jacket.

Haven’t done it yet, but still might.

[luvie]

We ARE ready to do battle for our
American way of life
and our brave troops who protect our freedoms!
Thanks Jim and John, Kristinn and
all the "pioneers" here who have
inspired us to be activists!
God bless this place!

[Lancey Howard]

Overall, I thought this was a mostly fair piece.
Congratulations, Jim.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

ROCK ON, Jim!!! ;)

[longtermmemmory]

would we increase the ratings if we used Freerepublic.com in our comments instead of just shorting it with FR?

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

Another word to use now instead of “conservative” is “American.”

Another word that desperately needs replacing is "liberal". They are NOT liberals. They are leftists.

[CottonBall]

fringe? harrrumph..

But congrats on the article.

[CottonBall]

Christ and our Founding Fathers were fringe in their day too.

Good observation. Our founding fathers were, in fact, commiting high treason.

[dragonblustar]

Standing by Sarge. We'll get those commie trolls.

[Mrs.Z]

***FR is more then a blog site. We hash existing news***

Yes “hash” but also correct, eviscerate, lampoon, excoriate, etc.

[CottonBall]

The one thing Kos has done that FR does not seem to do is encourage its readers to donate to sympathetic candidates and causes.

That's because liberals feel that people are too dumb to think for themselves. And have to be told what to do, along with needing help (from the government, of course) to just make it through life.

Conservatives know people can do better on their own and respect each person's ability to make their own decisions. I'm sure you knew this - I'm just putting it into perspective as to why FR doesn't to around telling us what to do.