SF CHRON ON FR: FReep This -- How The Right Wing Is Making Itself Heard

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | January 30, 2003 | Joyce Slaton

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Comments to this "reporter",

Search under "FReep poll" at the Web site and you'll find many "FReep this poll!" marching orders each day.

It's a suggestion, not a demand you moron. It's a suggestion to others saying "hey you might be interested in this". I don't vote in every poll I see. I do like her compliment that we are the only people smart enough to sway polls by voting repeatedly, but that just isn't accurate. Anyone can do it. I learned how to from trolling at DU . Most of us only vote in polls once, then move on. Some polls don't even deserve that. Allowing multiple voting is the fault of the website.

says liberal political analyst William Rivers Pitt

Quoting William Rivers Pitt as a source is like asking Charles Manson what he thinks of the criminal justice system. Not very useful for anything. Pitt is a supposed school teacher who hangs around with a possible child molester. Doesn't this alarm anyone else?

Still, it's incidents like this that show a certain scary side of the FReepers.

So now they're getting down on us for something we didn't do?

Chuy's was a truly nasty incident," says David Allen. "And it's not typical of that group, but it does speak to a level of tolerance for violent speech on the right that I don't think is appropriate. I've gotten threatening phone calls from FReepers actually threatening me harm, and that's shocking."

How many times do we have to say it? If you're getting threats, call local law enforcement. What good does it do to tell a reporter? More likely it's his lib buddies. Allen would be in serious trouble if the internet ever blocked the use of the "f" word. It's in most of the posts on his website.

There's so much manure in this article that I could be here for days composting it. I've had enough, it's someone else's turn now.

[leadpenny]

Hey, Joyce! Register and post a thread - - you'll be amazed how many freepers will "talk to you".

Good suggestion.

I would also like to humbly suggest that anyone who does contact her, please be kind and courteous. Anything otherwise will just give her a reason to tell her readers, "See, I told you so!"

[FreedomPoster]

>>Ya think she will answer?

Not a snowball's chance in Hades.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I would give her some respect if she tried to find a balanced view from the left instead of major members of the Axis of Clymers ( anti American Americans Pitt and Allen ).

[Byron_the_Aussie]

..were they concerned I would misrepresent their views because they feel the media has a liberal bias?....

[weegee]

Then there is the Chuy's incident. In June 2001, President Bush's underage daughter, Barbara, was served alcohol at Chuy's, a restaurant in Austin. The restaurant's bar manager, Mia Lawrence, saw what was happening and called 911 (and, the FReepers say, also phoned local newspapers at the same time, though others claim this allegation is false). The FReepers viewed Lawrence's actions as purposely harmful to the Bush family's image, and at least one of them retaliated by posting Lawrence's home address, date of birth, driver's license number and physical description, plus information about her baby, to Free Republic -- and urged other FReepers to make use of that information.

What does the President's daughter's incident at Chuy's have to do with the price of tea in China? This is the best example they can bring up?

The wire services even later conceded that the manager called the press in on this incident. 911 still is an unreasonable response to this kind of "emergency". The restaurant still served the patrons and should have had they're alcohol license stripped as a result.

As to posting "personal information" that will result in the pulling of a post (or even a thread) on FR. I had a thread pulled just for linking in information from a google search to another essay by an author where she left personal contact info (other freepers listed that she could be reached by clicking on the header link).

[weegee]

Read the posts to the leftist newswatch forum's coverage of the SF "peace" riots in January and you'll find plenty of lefties supporting the violence and vandalism. Or maybe that strikes too close to home for this birdcage liner.

[Kip Lange]

There's so much manure in this article that I could be here for days composting it. I've had enough, it's someone else's turn now.

Okay, I'll have a go at it. :-)

1. How is this article introduced? With a reference to Bob Novak and the *election* debacle -- a typical liberal sore spot. A way to suggest that a small but vocal group of people like us might be able to sway a large thing, like, say...an election. ;-) (backhand thwap to us #1)
2. "But had the American people really spoken? Or was this poll FReeped?" -- Doesn't this sound a little...spooooooky to you folks? A little Serlinguesque? Think it's a coincidence? :-)
3. Fifth paragraph. Notice how the author uses "don't like" twice. She's depicting us as "hateful". What we *like* seems to be relagated to "supporting President Bush" (makes us sound like sheep).
4. "marching orders" -- Sounds like Nazi goose-stepping to me. I bet it will to the average reader, too.
5. The only interview with a FReeper in the article is stigmatized heavily by the fact that she's a Second Amendment Sister (even a link to the site). Think THIS is an accident? A lot of Americans, like it or not, do associate those of us who support the second amendment with the fringe group she claims only a "few" of us are. (backhand thwap #...why was I even bothering to count?)
6. Absence of a conservative pundit. Got plenty of the Dem ones, and one FReeper who's a Second Amendment Sister. Weighted slightly wrong, methinks, again.
7. I'll end this with a pet peeve -- " In monitoring Free Republic myself, I have been amazed at how fast the FReepers seem to find polls " -- makes us sound like a bunch of darned lab rats. :p And of course distances the "objective" reporter with any sort of opinion we might hold (while it implies Pitt and Allen are objective -- which they aren't).
8. Tired, someone else keep shredding. :p

--CWL

[Smile-n-Win]

whomever finds it first -- and, to be honest, that's never us liberals. It's always them.

Spoken like a true liberal--jealous and whining!

[Smile-n-Win]

it does speak to a level of tolerance for violent speech on the right that I don't think is appropriate

Aha, so you libs do actually get it that tolerance for a certain thing can be inappropriate at times. Now try and apply that insight to your own rhetoric bashing us for being intolerant.

Oh, I forgot, you are liberals. Self-contradiction is the natural state of your mind. When will I ever learn? :-)

[leadpenny]

"Axis of Clymers"

Axis of Clymers. LOL! She'll probably have to have that one explained to her.

[Fraulein]

(1) "But had the American people really spoken? Or was this poll FReeped?"

I guess we are not American people?

(2) "Though many may not know about them, FReepers are members of a small but growing and vocal right-wing movement who are making a name for themselves."

English 101: "Many" should be followed by a noun. Also, the next clause should read: "movement which is making a name for itself..."

(3) "Some of those who hang out on Free Republic call themselves "FReepers."

Only some?

(4) "These people are dedicated to...showing President Bush support and getting on the nerves of liberals the FReepers don't like...letters and e-mails to support conservative figures they like and scolding calls, letters and e-mails to liberals they don't like."

Not that we have any arguments or reasons, mind you. It's just that we do not like liberals. Typical liberal emotional-speak.

(5) "Search under "FReep poll" at the Web site and you'll find many "FReep this poll!" marching orders each day."

Ahem. Marching orders?

(6) "In monitoring Free Republic myself...

That should read: "By monitoring Free Republic myself..."

(7) "Kershner says, SF Gate's polls are for entertainment value only."

Everything about SF Gate is for entertainment value only.

(8) "David Allen, founder and moderator of major liberal forum Democratic Underground, a popular site many think of as Free Republic's most direct ideologically opposite rival, agrees."

She has a serious clause problem when writing.

(9) "They're completely skewed to whomever finds it first -- and, to be honest, that's never us liberals. It's always them.

Yes, we are always quicker than they are, and in every regard.

(9) "As long as the news media continues to report the results of an Internet poll as if it's news, the FReeping of polls will continue to be a problem."

That sounds about right.

(10) "A small number of FReepers believe so strongly in the ultimate good of their goals that they don't mind advocating or even participating in activities that are scary, violent and illegal."

She's saying that we are ruthless: the end justifies the means.

By the way, her two examples of "violent and unlawful Freeper activity" go back to 1999 and 2001. There is nothing recent!

(11) "the fact that such activities have occurred is alarming."

A perfect example of the sickening self-righteousness so characteristic of the left. And why wasn't she squealing back in 1999 and 2001?

(12) "There's definitely a sort of hardcore wackjob segment of FReepers," agrees William Rivers Pitt."

The pot calling the kettle black!

(13) "It's just the lunatic fringe I worry about."

This coming from San Francisco!

[LBGA]

Wonder when they are going to write their hit piece on DU? They didn't post a link to that site... must be because they didn't want the reader to see the kind of rhetoric found there.

[Kip Lange]

They didn't post a link to that site... must be because they didn't want the reader to see the kind of rhetoric found there.

No, no, go back and read again, she did give a link to DU>

--CWL

[Fraulein]

There is a link to DU on the SF site.

[weegee]

DNC urging the skewing of recent poll:

EMAIL TO DEMOCRATS FROM THE DNC ABOUT POLLING AFTER TONIGHT'S STATE OF THE UNION

Leftists on an SF lefty media site supporting violent protest:

SF INS Building Smashed and Trashed!

The article is biased bunk signifying nothing.

[Jim Robinson]

The elections FReeped? I'm shocked! Shocked, I tell you. I cannot believe that the liberals have stooped so low as to blame us FReepers for tossing Gore outta Cheney's house. Man, that'd take some FReeping. Hmmmm.... and didn't I read somewhere that the Gore family blames the FReepers for him not running again in '04? FReeped 'em but good, I'd say!

Oh, well, at least she spelled our names right (most of them anyway).

[LBGA]

Okay, I see the link on the real article. L.N. Smithee just didn't format it on this thread... good choice.

[weegee]

Zippy The Pinhead was the only thing I read the online SF Gate website for. Purely an entertainment site ONLY.

[weegee]

Have to wonder if she just lurked or if she was one of the useful idiots that posted just for a few minutes with leftist tripe here on FR.

Also have to love that "banned for life" comment about the person who posted the Chuy's info. Look up ZOT under thread searches and you'll see some idiots who managed to sign up here several times.