(Note:To show how irrelevant Free Republic has become, on the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration the site was booted off line for the entire day. The ENTIRE day. One of the most important days for the center right movement and Free Republic was no where to be seen during the day’s events. What a joke. So, is Free Republic down? It should be.)
See Also
Why Is Free Republic’s Jim Robinson Attacking Conservative Bloggers?
-By Allen N. Smithee
I want to report and expose a devious and vicious campaign that is currently underway on the so-called “premier” site on the Internet for conservatives, Free Republic. Ironically, the target of this campaign is fellow…conservatives, especially conservative bloggers, completely removing any justification from Free Republic for promoting this kind of action.
I moonlight as a conservative blogger, though I write for Examiner, which is a news website run by the Clarity Media Group. I have been familiar with Free Republic for several years, and I had been lurking there since about 2003 or 2004. In 2008, after being horrified and shocked by the media-assisted victory of Barack Obama, I decided to register on Free Republic in order to do my fair share as a conservative activist, working to expose his disreputable actions as POTUS. This consisted of me posting columns from my blog along with posting an equal amount of news articles from a wide variety of news sites around the Internet on Free Republic.
I only started regularly posting columns from my blog on the Free Republic website in October of 2010, and this process went fine and uninterrupted until very early March of 2011. At that point, without warning and completely abruptly, a cowardly and anonymous user by the name of “humblegunner” began stalking me by harassing me and spam-posting slanderous accusations without fail in the thread of each column from my blog that I’d post on Free Republic. Apparently, “humblegunner” is extremely slow on the uptake because it took him five months to figure out that I was posting my blog columns on Free Republic.
The harassment from “humblegunner” was characterized by an ultra-basic modus operandi. The anonymous coward “humblegunner” would work himself into a frenzy by showing his obsession with the term “blog pimp.” Apparently his favorite word in the whole universe (which shows his immaturity and lack of any taste), “blog pimp” is the all-purpose false accusation that Free Republic operatives use when they want to condemn fellow conservatives in order to establish the basis for permanent banishment from the site. In this way, Free Republic also uses a strategy that is sinisterly similar to the Saul Alinksy strategy of demonizing and ridiculing one’s enemies in order to take away their credibility.
For several days in a row, this anonymous coward called “humblegunner” was always one of the first to post on the thread to my blog columns on Free Republic. Besides harassing me and other Free Republic members who were interested in reading news and analysis, he would also resort to making up demonstrable lies as part of Free Repulic’s policy of attacking and destroying conservative bloggers. For instance, he would relentlessly spread the libel that the site I write for, Examiner.com, is full of viruses. He would also issue blatantly illegitimate challenges, such as childishly demanding that I post my whole blog column on Free Republic instead of just an excerpt. He did this despite knowing 100% for certain that Free Republic was already threatened in 2009 with legal action by a lawyer from Examiner.com. In September 2009, Examiner.com General Counsel Deborah Shinbein wrote a threatening communication to Jim Robinson. The lawyer was upset that Free Republic members were posting entire Examiner articles on the website, with the clear instruction being to only post Examiner excerpts in order to avoid lawsuits.
So, in effect, “humblegunner”—who I suppose is actually on owner Jim Robinson’s side, even though his actions are self-defeating and make no sense whatsoever—was actually insisting that I help get Free Republic into legal trouble by posting my whole columns from Examiner.com instead of just excerpts from them. “humblegunner” was actually insisting that I post copyright violations of Examiner.com on FreeRepublic, showing the absolute stupidity of that website. This clearly verifies how he would just post any type of fraud in the threads of all my blog posts in order to destroy the ability of interested readers to absorb the information in peace.
As if this permitted conservative-blogger sabotage that’s endorsed by Robinson isn’t enough, the sheer viciousness from several other anonymous cowards just like “humblegunner” should convince you just how extreme the self-defeating, intra-conservative hostility on Free Republic really is. Based on the mistreatment I experienced from “humblegunner,” I can say that he’s the sort of unofficial ringleader (more like an anonymous coward who thinks he’s a legend in his own mind, actually) of a band of equally anonymous cowards on Free Republic. This band of anonymous cowards works in the same manner that “humblegunner” does: They all excitedly throw the libelous phrase “blog pimp” around and start viciously assaulting whomever conservative blogger they target, like a pack of wild dogs (hiding cowardly behind Free Republic anonymity, of course) suffering from herd mentality syndrome. It’s just that they are such sheeple who can’t think for themselves that they actually need “humblegunner” to stir them up into a frenzy before they jump into action and join him in his destruction of conservative bloggers.
Their screen names on Free Republic are “TheOldLady,” “JoeProBono,” “Daffynition,” “Allegra,” “DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis,” “paulycy,” “Bean Counter,” “50mm,” and Salamander.” This list is by no means complete, but these anonymous cowards—most of whose profiles are empty and don’t feature their real names—are the most vicious offenders, all sanctioned by Robinson, of course.
There also needs to be something said about the idiosyncratic manner this band of anonymous cowards goes about their mission to destroy and libel conservative bloggers on Free Republic. Their modus operandi, as a group, can only be described as equally insane, immature, and absolutely hateful to the extreme. Without fail, the intra-conservative hostility and sabotage begins with “humblegunner” making the first libelous and hateful comment; then he puts out a ping to alert his fellow anonymous cowards to join in the attack by posting countless, libelous comments that subtract from the topic of the blog post. These conservative traitors even have a childish name (which gives them endless pleasure) for this sabotage: They arrogantly call it a “thread hijack.” This involves them spamming the thread of any conservative blogger’s blog post with dozens and dozens of hateful comments that have nothing to do with the topic of the post. The perverse and devious intention is obvious: to discourage any interested conservative from leaving a thoughtful comment…hence, a “thread hijack.”
In my case, I was victimized by this vicious mistreatment from this pack of Free Republic anonymous cowards over a course of a few days in the first week of March, 2011. When I didn’t back down and defended myself against their hate and libel—as I had every right to do because I was faithfully following the blog-posting rules on the site, which demand that Examiner.com columns are excerpted—that just bitterly angered them more and caused them to beg the moderators to ban me, which they did. Clearly, the expectation on Free Republic is that all conservative bloggers, who are viciously libeled and mistreated by the band of anonymous cowards (the “blog police,” as Warner Todd Huston so appropriately calls them), surrender and let themselves be personally attacked in the most vicious way imaginable…by so-called fellow conservatives. Apparently, conservative bloggers have to endure this dehumanizing mistreatment just to have the “privilege” of posting on Free Republic. I was not going to lay down for a bunch of conservative traitors who wanted to treat me worse than garbage, which is why I defended myself against their hateful and libelous attacks—which is what ended up getting me banned, of course.
Some of the posts by this “blog police” against me included “You seem obsessed with the sex and men. Strange, unless you’re a queer”; “ROTFLMAF at your dumb ass! Is your face turning blue or red ‘lil feller?”; “He seems very angry. That’s quite understandable for a postpubescent boy under 5′ 4″. From his keyword spam, he seems to be suffering from delusions of grandeur as well”; “Lol. You are one crazy blog pimp”; “Cut back on the retard pills. You’re starting to drool again.” Thus, anyone can see why I chose to defend myself in the face of that vicious assault by those cowards.
It also has to be pointed out that these traitor-conservatives are pitiful in what they do. Their modus operandi is to gang up on a conservative blogger and then, like a pack of wild animals, take turns verbally insulting and provoking him, again, all sanctioned by Robinson. That produces the kinds of extremely hostile comments such as the ones above. However, in my case, after I started defending myself, they began to back off, just like with all bullies when you start fighting back against them. And then, like the cowards they are, they actually petitioned and begged one of the Free Republic moderators (another nameless coward) to ban me because I had gotten too “uppity.” After I was banned, their lowlife attitude came to the forefront again, as they only felt confident enough to start attacking me again at that point—when I was already banned and couldn’t even defend myself!!! Truly, that is the mark of absolute lowlife cowards.
After this expose against Free Republic, which is already backed up by the experiences of Mr. Huston and Anthony Martin, a fellow Examiner writer, I’m calling on all conservatives to boycott that screwball website. Robinson’s website is a poor operation that has no funding and desperately relies on the contributions of members (suckers?) to keep financing more intra-conservative hatred and personal attacks. In fact, it is downright hilarious that, currently, Free Republic is trying to raise money in their Freepathon (read: asking for a handout), but they are struggling to get anywhere!! Their existence can’t be justified in any way, shape, or form since there are other conservative websites who do activism a whole lot better than Free Republic and don’t feature the same kind of hateful and low-minded savagery from the aforementioned cowards on that website. So I’m urging all conservatives who thought about wasting their hard-earned money to finance Robinson and Free Republic to think twice. Before my experience on that good-for-nothing website, I thought only the liberals at websites like DailyKos and Democratic Underground were the epitome of raw, unadulterated viciousness and off-the-chart hatred. Now, I know better. I have the proof that Robinson’s Free Republic is every bit as hateful and savage as those leftist fanatics. Except in Robinson’s case, he’s actually condoning traitorous, intra-conservative destruction in what I can only opine is a mentally ill policy.
I have a better suggestion. Just use the site and don’t donate.
Free Republic….isn’t. It’s run by a control freak with an army of Mini-me clones. Back in the day when GWB was president, any criticism of his big spending ways was met with a zot of the poster account.
One good sign. It takes longer each quarter for him to make his money in fund raisers. The universe of fools who haven’t been punched into place by straying from Robinson’s party line, and who don’t see how this supposed bastion of free speech isn’t, is growing smaller each year.
I’ve got no quarrel with Jim Robinson’s right to run his website the way he wants to run it. That’s his right, but I do think he’s wrong not to rider herd over a relatively small group at Free Republic that harasses bloggers.
While I’m not a conspiracy theorist, I don’t doubt that at least a few of them are leftist sock puppets. I can’t see any other reason for this group to be so hostile to conservative bloggers unless they have a nefarious agenda.
Conservative bloggers are critical to the effort to combat the leftist narrative and associated lies being pushed by the Democrat/Media Complex. Right bloggers have a record of exposing these lies that they can take some pride in.
For all their efforts, these good guy bloggers get very little in return. Most don’t get paid for their long hours of banging away on at keyboard. Blog ads provide precious little in the way of revenue, and many bloggers have to ask for readers to donate, just like Jim Rob does.
I can’t for the life of me understand why bloggers would be begrudged a few page hits from FR. It is standard practice for bloggers to link to each other, and the result is beneficial to all parties. I have a linked FR graphic on my site which drives some traffic to them, yet this small band of blogger-hostile Freepers are outraged if I post an excerpt from my site on FR.
Today I logged off of FR for the last time. I had been a Freeper for six years. It really saddens me to see this little band of juveniles dragging FR down to the sewer level of DU and Kos, and the only winners in the devolution of FR are on the left.
Still, I refuse to be taken down with them. I signed up at Lucianne.com today.
Marc, I agree with much of what you had to say, but you’re not the victim and neither am I. The real victim in the demise of FR is the cause of conservatism.
– JP
Well, really. You rant on and on about Free Republic stifling commentary, but then you censor comments on your own blog, only allowing those that don’t even contain a whiff of criticism to pass through the filter.
Fun with irony, boys and girls!
Free Republic is no different than KOS. If one doesn’t tow the “orthodoxy”, which changes like the ocean tides, of Jim Robinson or his minions than one is attacked. Rational, logical discussion of a topic is a rarity. One cannot question nor intellecutally discuss conservative or military leadership relating to the cult of Islam, Sarah Palin or social issues nor play devil’s advocate, without being call a DU plant, troll, drunk, insane etc… if their views deviate from Jim Robinson’s or his minions. They take a sentence or word out of conext and run with it, like chicken little, screaming your not conservative the sky is falling. Jim has to zot you.
They are like harpeys who, instead of wanting to dicuss a topic, are sitting anonymously behind their moniker waiting to attack an individual who they “believe” has strayed from their self defined conservative orthodox check list.
Such antics give ammo to the stereotypes progessives impose on conservatives in an effort to discount the conservative position.
There are some on Free Republic who carry on thoughtful, logical discussions, but they are few and far between.
When I first “witnessed” an attack by the harpeys I thought of Jim Robinson using numerous monikers to make such attacks, then when the zot siren is rung by the harpeys, he can zot the individual and say it wasn’t him. Frre Republic’s harpey then childishly attack the “zotted one” with childish abandon, even though the “zotted one” is not there to fight back.
Calling Free Republic a conservative site is a misnomer. It is neither free nor a republic.
There are better sites that have discussions on important conservative topics, without the background noise of Jim Robinson or his harpeys.
You should try being a Mormon on Free Republic! Check out the FRAM Report for surveys on anti-Mormon hatred that is rampant on the site.
Your description of the Freeper’s methods is exactly what the FRAM Report describes.
http://framreport.blogspot.com/
As a regular lurker of FR and the Examiner I’m dismayed by the treatment you’re receiving. It seems Conservatives are always shooting themselves in the foot.
Fiefdoms are treacherous territory. I’ve had similar experiences in the early days of
AR15.com when I posted an article detailing the GLBT agenda in public schools. I was banned for posting an article from a newspaper exposing the teaching of FISTING and other delights to grade school children in Massachusetts. I was called a liar and told that it wasn’t happening. The article was deleted and I re-posted it thereby sealing my banishment.
Stay strong
Best Regards,
KARAMBIT
I quit the site also why pay to be harassed. Many of those people are shameless they give real conservatives a bad name. They defend the indefensible. Free Republic Sucks
Unfortunately, FR has become an echo-chamber for Birchers, birthers, and young earth creationists. They really are nothing more than kamikaze conservatives who viciously attack GOP candidates who don’t toe their extreme evangelical Christian line, thereby strengthening liberal opposition. Sure, it’s Robinson’s site, but it now serves merely as an entertaining distraction. Unfortunately, the media uses it as a counterbalance to KOS and DU.