Truly irreplaceable
William F. Buckley, Jr. has died. I'll post my thoughts a bit later. For now, I urge you to head to NRO's Corner to read the many tributes already posted there.
UPDATE: I'm a relatively recent convert to conservatism, but a long-time admirer of Buckley. During the late 1970s, Firing Line was the only non-sports television program I watched regularly. Though I resisted many of Buckley's ideas at that time, they remained in the back of my head and assisted in my subsequent movement to the right.
I finally met Buckley last May at a dinner in New York. It was held on the roof of a church in mid-town Manhattan. I encountered Buckley in the lobby of the church. I was holding back issues of Commentary, which I had scooped up at the last minute (instead of my back issues of National Review) to read on the train to New York. I introduced myself and then apologized for carrying "the wrong magazine." Buckley chuckled and, as we took the church elevator together, proceeded to offer his commentary on Norman Podhoretz's latest article on how to deal with Iran.
The encounter lasted for perhaps three minutes, but that was long enough for me to witness Buckley's wit, graciousness and intellectual power -- the same traits that had made me a regular Firing Line viewer all those years ago. What a thrill (and piece of good fortune) to have had that conversation.
PRESIDENT BUSH on WFB:
Q Any thoughts on Buckley?
THE PRESIDENT: I just had the — I just hung up with Christopher Buckley, the son of William F. Buckley. I expressed Laura and my sadness over the passage of this very important figure in American political thought. He was a great author, a great wit and a leader. And Chris said that his dad died at his desk. And I asked whether it had been a — I know it's a painful experience for Chris's heart, but he said that his dad died a peaceful death, and we got to thank God for that and thank God for his life.
Q You once said Buckley moved conservatism into the Oval office — that he moved conservatism from the margins of American society into the Oval Office.
THE PRESIDENT: No question, he was a — one of the great political thinkers. He influenced a lot of people, including me. And he was — I can remember those debates they had on TV, and he was so articulate and he captured the imagination of a lot of folks because he was — he had a great way of defining the issues. It was erudite and yet a lot of folks from different walks of life could understand it. And he's a big figure in our history, and he'll be missed. And we ask for God's blessings on his soul. Thank you.
And here's the official statement:
America has lost one of its finest writers and thinkers. Bill Buckley was one of the great founders of the modern conservative movement. He brought conservative thought into the political mainstream, and helped lay the intellectual foundation for America's victory in the Cold War and for the conservative movement that continues to this day. He will be remembered for his principled thought and beautiful writing -- as well as his personal warmth, wit, and generous spirit. His legacy lives on in the ideas he championed and in the magazine he founded -- National Review.
To comment on this post, go here.
