Question about Free Republic and DU...

[Some Moran]

Free Republic and similar hate communities seem to be larger than progressive communities. Why, then, do they have such pathetic turn-outs at rallies?

[Pale Blue Dot]

1. IMHO, because they fear confrontation

They know that logic and reason do not back up their opinions. Like Rush and O'Reilly, they would rather have total control over the message. They can't take it when they are called on it.

[SoCalDem]

2. Just because they SAY they have large communities

does not make it so:)

Maybe they have an exaggerration problem, like their fearless leader:)

[Gman]

12. Very true

they make a lot of noise, that's about it. And, as is very classic of right wing conservatives, they prefer to spew their vile crap anonymously. They're like roaches. Turn on the light and they scurry away. You'll never in your lifetime see 50,000 of them demonstrating.

FR may have more members than DU, but it's been around 5 years longer. I don't think FR had 35K+ members after 2 years.

[alexwcovington]

3. Conservatives are lazy

We work hard for justice, equality, and progress. Conservatives are the folks who sit down and complain about change.

[ShaneGR]

4. #1-They aren't that big #2-No one believes what they are saying

My opinion.

[Clete]

5. Have you ever looked at the photos posted?

Everyone is white. Being that whites outnumber most people in America, it stand to reason that even their fringe radicals would be larger in numbers, although I don't think they are as big as they say.

[Darth_Ole]

6. They do have a large community

but there's a couple reasons that they don't have large events.

1.) We liberals are "angrier." We are outraged at the war, at the bad economy, etc. "We want our country back" has almost become our rallying cry. But the Repukes don't seem to have that same sort of motivation. They're just whiny schmucks.

2.) They don't know how to organize. Just like Dean's campaign effectively uses the internet and other sources to organize his meet-ups and other events, we're able to communicate with each other better and organize the masses. The other side isn't hip on stuff yet.

[alcuno]

7. Many reasons

1. FR has been around twice as long as DU.
2. DU'ers and others register all the time to post on FR and then get kicked off. The act of registering gets counted in their total.
3. They are lazy.

[Cat Atomic]

8. What do they have to complain about?

They've got their war, they've got the Presidency, they've got the Congress, the Supreme Court, the media... you name it. It's hard to get really worked up about an idea like, "the status-quo is great".

People who are being marginalized, people who want change... they get angry and start to organize.

[Clete]

9. They want their jobs back that Clinton lost for them.<sarcasm>

eom

[Blitz]

11. That's the right answer

The group that is out of power is going to be the one that screams loudest to get it back. Moreover, the more out of power one side is, the more radicalized it gets and the wider (but shallower) its leading, protesting edge is. Right now, the left is on the outside looking in and is feeling VERY left out of the process, having lost the Executive and legislative branches of the federal government and finding itself on the defensive in important state contests. Therefore, the left's loud, radical wing is leading the protests while the right has neither the need nor the inclination to do so. The question isn't why the right isn't out there protesting. The question that should REALLY worry Democrats is whose out there protesting for them and defining the face of the left.

Moreover, the left and right have different traditions. the left has a history of mass protest. The right tends to try to effect change by exerting pressure through community organizations, financial pressure and other, quieter but equally effective means.

[Philosophy]

10. They're all talk

It's the same mindset that leads them to believe all they have to do to "support the troops" is have tattered plastic flags flapping on their car.

[stewert]

13. They Are All Talk.......

The freepers are all show and no go. They talk a good game, the key word is talk.

They are just a bunch of loud mouth flag waving liars. They are internet tough guys,
but that is a front. In reality they are a bunch of idiotic morons who don't practice what
they preach.

They claim to have 90,000 members, ha, ha. I highly doubt it, if that were true they
would be able to get more than 50 people at their pro-war rallies.

I heard Jim Rob counts everyone who ever registed a nic-name, I registered to post
there once, I was banned after one posting. Yet I am probably counted as one of
the 90,000 freeper members.

Remember this, look at the crowds at the anti-war protests. Then look at the crowds
at the freeper rally. We had 100,000, they had 50, ok maybe 60.

We believe in our cause, they just say they do.