Jim Robinson, the visionary founder of Free Republic and one of the internet’s earliest conservative pioneers, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 27, 2025, in Fresno, California. He was 79. […]
In 1996, from his Fresno home, Robinson launched Free Republic as a small discussion board for conservative viewpoints. What began as a side project quickly grew into a national movement. By early 1997, “Freepers,” as members called themselves, were exchanging ideas, posting news links, and organizing events long before social media made such activism commonplace.
During the Clinton impeachment era, Free Republic became a hub of conservative grassroots energy, proof that ordinary citizens could wield collective influence through the internet.
Remember “maz2” ? he commented regularly here for years more than a decade, and was a member there… always good comments and links to great posts. People come and go, sometimes there’s no trail to see which way they’ve gone to.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/26012226159
Free Republic is on X/Twitter too, but it seems dormant since 2023
1999 was the year I discovered all that great stuff online!! I was in a situation where every week day morning was completely free time for me.
I would go on the Drudge Report and click on every entry that was listed to discover people, thoughts and ideas which were all new to me. I learned a lot on Free Report.
Nowadays not quite as much time so mainly SDA and Treehouse!
I used to participate quite a bit over on FR, but haven’t been there in years. Back in its heyday, FR actually had their own Inauguration party in DC for George W. Bush. It was attended by a couple hundred Freepers, Jim Robinson and his son, as well as Zell Miller, Larry Clayton (Judicial Watch Founder), Mike Huckabee (who actually brought his band and played for some of the evening). The drummer from the group “Yes” was there as well. He was Connie Hair’s roommate in California at the time. I remember talking to the State Police body guard (Huckabee was Gov. of Arkansas at the time) who gave me a business card and told me if I ever got caught speeding in Arkansas, just show the trooper the card. I still have it somewhere.
It was a great time. Around midnight, a group from the event walked over to the White House where Bill and Hillary were presumably spending their last night…and the entire group started changing “Count the Silverware before they leave.” Apparently, they were in there pulling all the W’s off the keyboards and kind of trashing the place.