Contrary to published reports, William F. Buckley is very much alive and well, using as little
Arab oil as possible. Among other things I suspect he's packin' a pocket Constitution ;o)
Posted on 12/07/2013 8:02:17 AM PST by Kaslin
To millions of readers, he was William F. Buckley, Jr.: book author, magazine publisher, televised debater. To me, he was Bill: friend, ally, trail-blazer.
Indeed, to remember Bill -- who would have turned 88 last week -- is to remember modern conservatism's stellar leader.
Bill was an entrepreneur whenever he needed to be, and more often than most of us realized, starting National Review when it was not only politically incorrect, but intellectually inconceivable. After all, we were told, conservatives didn't have enough ideas to fill one issue of a magazine, let alone one that would presume to follow a regular publishing schedule.
In today’s age of heated debates that feature more shouting than substance, it’s easy to forget that Bill conceptualized and hosted his own long-running TV series with intelligent discourse, not with participants yelling at the other guy across a table.
Conservatism in the 1950s was colorful, eccentric -- and largely irrelevant. Some taught that theism was weakness, and altruism a crime. Others accused Dwight Eisenhower of being a communist agent. In both cases, Bill shored up the intellectual levies that defined the course of the conservative mainstream. The result was a movement prepared for Barry Goldwater’s 1964 presidential run and the groundwork it laid for Ronald Reagan’s eventual victory.
I first met Bill in the fall of 1964 at the organizing committee meeting for the Philadelphia Society, also attended by Don Lipsett, Frank Meyer and Milton Friedman. I remember Bill writing a check for $100 so that I could open a bank account as the group’s first treasurer. The Society, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next April, continues to fill a vital role as a meeting place for American conservatives.
Bill had a talent for encouraging the small beginnings of great things. He was a gardener who saw redwoods grow to maturity.
His association with The Heritage Foundation was a long one. He was a featured speaker in 1980 at the dedication of the Noble and Coors Buildings, our first headquarters, and he graced us with his wit and wisdom on many subsequent occasions.
Bill’s talent for hospitality and his unfailing good humor steadied and unified the conservative movement. At one small New York dinner party, he introduced my wife, Linda, to her heartthrob, Tom Selleck (who continues to entertain us with his wholesome TV show “Blue Bloods”). At his semi-annual dinners and discussions, all the disparate factions of conservatism were united and reminded that the battle against a common enemy trumps any squabbles among natural allies.
He was a source of constant inspiration to all on the Right. His books “God and Man at Yale” and “Up From Liberalism” have been required reading since they were first published a half century ago. In 1960, he helped form Young Americans for Freedom based on the principles enshrined in the landmark “Sharon Statement,” which challenged future generations to think clearly, dream big, and take on challenges.
When we were down, we knew Bill could cheer us up, and tell us what was really impossible, but worth doing nonetheless. Bill Buckley for Mayor of New York City? Impossible, but his quixotic campaign paved the way for the election of his brother Jim to the U.S. Senate, and for intermittently good government in the city.
I can still hear him now, back in the early 1970s: “So, Ed, if you want to start a new conservative think tank in Washington, go for it, and I'll help you any way I can!” A day doesn't go by that I don't think of Bill and the seeds he planted to make an impact for the ideas we believe in.
For me, William F. Buckley, Jr., will always retain his primary title: the inspiration of the modern conservative movement.
Contrary to published reports, William F. Buckley is very much alive and well, using as little
Arab oil as possible. Among other things I suspect he's packin' a pocket Constitution ;o)
Hear hear!
I was taking a Political Science course in the very early 1960’s. The professor assigned a number of books to choose from for a book report. They were all left wing. I asked why no “Conservative “ books on the list? Answer “WHAT ARE CONSERVATIVE BOOKS”. As a subscriber to National Review, using their “book review” section, brought in a list of 20+ books. She let me pick one from the list. Received a decent grade. LESS IDEOLOGICAL TIMES.
A voice in the darkness.... lighting candles...
Was a huge fan of Buckley’s writing and Firing Line. Wasted many hours in my college library reading bound back issues of NR. But when his son Chris was shilling for Obama in 2008, it was a reminder that even giants can fail spectacularly.
“For me, William F. Buckley, Jr., will always retain his primary title: the inspiration of the modern conservative movement.”
He did make one mistake. He Fathered that weenie of a son, Christopher.
Sorry, Dad, I’m Voting for Obama
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2008/10/10/the-conservative-case-for-obama.html
Has Number One Son Christopher ever walked back is support of El Duce, or rather Obama? I recall when Bill Buckley was living, he was very well respected, but people made gentle fun of his speech pattern, lots of pauses, hemming, hawing and throat clearing. That was just his way, he had a lot of self confidence took his time.
“Has Number One Son Christopher ever walked back is support of El Duce, or rather Obama?”
A little. A couple years later he wrote a rather tepid article criticizing Obamam, but I dont recall him repudiating anything he originally said in his column declaring his vote for obama.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2437831/posts
I did the same thing myself. It was anything but a waste of time.
I understand like the Nixon and Reagan children, the Buckley son repudiated his father.
What I meant was that one or both, probably only Julie, of the Nixon daughters campaigned for Obama, not that they treated their father the way the Reagan-Nancy children did theirs.
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