Breaking: William F. Buckley dies at 82; Update: Buckley on the Birchers
posted at 11:23 am on February 27, 2008 by Allahpundit
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Just across at the Times. K-Lo already has an announcement up but much, much, much more is bound to follow at the Corner. RIP.
Update: Obligatory. Buckley vs. Vidal.
Update: An hour with Buckley from the Charlie Rose Show in 2006.
Update: And here’s his most famous piece of writing — the publisher’s statement from the first issue of NR. “NATIONAL REVIEW is out of place, in the sense that the United Nations and the League of Women Voters and the New York Times and Henry Steele Commager are in place.”
Update: They found him at his desk, according to the Times obituary, which must have been on standby for years. Quote: “Two more books, one a political novel, and the other a history of the magazine called ‘Cancel Your Own Goddam Subscription’ are scheduled to be published in 2007.”
Update: What Buckley saw at the rEVOLution:
“How would you define the Birch fallacy?” Jay Hall asked.
“The fallacy,” I said, “is the assumption that you can infer subjective intention from objective consequence: we lost China to the Communists, therefore the President of the United States and the Secretary of State wished China to go to the Communists.”
“I like that,” Goldwater said.
Update: Here’s NRO’s obit.
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Godspeed my man…
Skywise on February 27, 2008 at 11:25 AM
Just saw this on FoxNews. RIP Mr. Buckley.
robblefarian on February 27, 2008 at 11:25 AM
RIP.
Too bad a lot of young “conservatives” these days read more of Ann Coulter than William Buckley.
freevillage on February 27, 2008 at 11:25 AM
Prayers go out for a great man and his family.
Big Orange on February 27, 2008 at 11:26 AM
It’s a shame that death calls the good ones. Will pray for his surviving family members.
Weight of Glory on February 27, 2008 at 11:26 AM
Amen to that, freevillage. He’ll be missed.
BacaDog on February 27, 2008 at 11:27 AM
Thank you for everything William F Buckley. RIP.
Zetterson on February 27, 2008 at 11:27 AM
Truly a giant and trailblazer…
Matticus Finch on February 27, 2008 at 11:27 AM
Prayers up for a legend and his family,
Connie on February 27, 2008 at 11:27 AM
hopefully they’ll start reading Jonah Goldberg. Who is a product of NR.
jp on February 27, 2008 at 11:28 AM
I just started reading his Cancel Your Own Goddamn Subscription I loved his work, my prayers with his family.
aclark on February 27, 2008 at 11:28 AM
Rest in peace, Bill. Let the godfather of the conservative movement be forever remembered.
Hollowpoint on February 27, 2008 at 11:28 AM
Rush should be interesting today
jp on February 27, 2008 at 11:28 AM
blah :(
blatantblue on February 27, 2008 at 11:28 AM
Death is the great equalizer, it takes the sublime along with the evil and the ridiculous. That said, Mr. Buckley will be sorely missed, and my condolences to his loved ones.
peski on February 27, 2008 at 11:29 AM
One of the greatest minds in politics. His command of the English language was amazing. His ideas and the man himself will be greatly missed.
Reaganite84 on February 27, 2008 at 11:29 AM
We owe an enormous debt to him. RIP
INC on February 27, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Dang, I love that clip.
Sad news.
Slublog on February 27, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Consider the days before Talk Radio, Fox etc. He was the oasis, thundering away on PBS and in print.
AYNBLAND on February 27, 2008 at 11:30 AM
I remember talking about him with my grandma about his vocabulary and diction. Probably one of the first semi-political discussions of my life.
Rest well, WFB.
amkun on February 27, 2008 at 11:31 AM
Myron Cope, announced for the PITTSBURGH STEELERS, passed as well. RIP Myron
THE CHOSEN ONE on February 27, 2008 at 11:31 AM
A class act.
RIP
The_Freeze on February 27, 2008 at 11:32 AM
in LF, goldberg argues that the barrier the US has against a full fledged fascistic state is conservative dogma. The debts we owe men like WFB is probably greater than we can comprehend.
jp on February 27, 2008 at 11:32 AM
Huge loss.
Thanks, Bill, for enabling us to be a stronger, freer nation.
Yes, I look forward to Rush’s tribute.
petefrt on February 27, 2008 at 11:33 AM
Time to break out the Bailey’s. Here is to you sir. Slainte.
Limerick on February 27, 2008 at 11:34 AM
One of the few points where my father and I really connected was when he introduced me to the works of Mr. Buckley. I had read “great” writers before, but never one in the field of conservative politics. I felt I had grown into a new age when I first started reading him.
May G_d grant us time to mourn and celebrate this great man before the inevitable ugly attacks begin. Tomorrow will likely be another day Ted Rall will be glad he doesn’t know me.
Hannibal Smith on February 27, 2008 at 11:35 AM
As Jefferson said so well…”I have sworn, upon the altar of God, hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man!”. Thank God for men like WFB, and that he was one of us.
Rest in peace, sir, the hard part is over.
grumpy_old_soldier on February 27, 2008 at 11:35 AM
Its nice to know that after Buckley cleaned Vidal’s clock, Vidal moved to France.
RIP.
cjs1943 on February 27, 2008 at 11:36 AM
Whilst Mr. Buckley is basking in Heaven among the Angels, imao, I think we all know here G. Vidal perhaps may wind up….Just sayin…./snark off?
Branch Rickey on February 27, 2008 at 11:37 AM
BTW, a far better example of a political discussion at a level that now seems impossible is his debate with Chomsky.
freevillage on February 27, 2008 at 11:37 AM
He founded the National Review and was for drug legalization?
I’ve heard his name but I didn’t know who he was. Too bad, sounds like I would have liked him a lot.
RIP
Geronimo on February 27, 2008 at 11:37 AM
Rest in Peace Mr. Buckley, you will be missed. One of the best men that ever lived.
A true example of what real Conservatism is, an example we should all live by.
AprilOrit on February 27, 2008 at 11:37 AM
Say it isn’t so. Very bad news.
stenwin77 on February 27, 2008 at 11:37 AM
RIP WFB.
I remember when I was a child in the 60s, and my liberal nutjob neighbors called him William F. Fukly. I didn’t understand it at the time, but I was happy I grew up to understand later.
Unfortunately the liberals rarely change their intolerant stripes.
kirkill on February 27, 2008 at 11:38 AM
Rest well, Mr. Buckley.
Richard Romano on February 27, 2008 at 11:38 AM
*…..waiting for the laughter from the lefty blogs*
blatantblue on February 27, 2008 at 11:38 AM
Farewell, Sir. RIP.
O-Dub on February 27, 2008 at 11:39 AM
The lightning fast posts so quickly after the announcement is proof of what Mr. Buckley meant to our nation. What a class act and wonderful guy. A true conservative who never wavered in what was right. All the TV conservatives of today should speak about Mr. Buckley today with reverence and more than just a snippet.
Tell us about it Rush.
RIP.
JeffinOrlando on February 27, 2008 at 11:39 AM
First Myron Cope passes, now WFB.
Awful day.
benrand on February 27, 2008 at 11:39 AM
Good God. I remember seeing that exchange live.
I just regret wasting so many years being on the other side that I didn’t read him as often as I should have.
Even when I was younger, I felt guilty for thinking he was right on some issues but I couldn’t “agree with Buckley” without being “one of them.”
RIP
Grantman on February 27, 2008 at 11:39 AM
Thank you, Buckley.
You saved my life.
Saltysam on February 27, 2008 at 11:39 AM
I choked on my drink when I saw the headline.
He was without question the most eloquent, powerful force in the conservative movement, whose love for God and country were second to none. He made it cool to be a conservative in this country (well, at least to me). As painful as it is to know he’s gone, I’m glad he and his wife are reunited, toasting Jesus with JFK. There will never be another.
RIP.
emailnuevo on February 27, 2008 at 11:40 AM
What sad tidings. Rest in Peace, Great American.
RushBaby on February 27, 2008 at 11:40 AM
The last of the great conservative thinkers and writers of the 20th Century and into the 21st is gone.
Rest In Peace Bill Buckley.
pilamaye on February 27, 2008 at 11:41 AM
82 years isn’t a bad run in this life.
gmoonster on February 27, 2008 at 11:41 AM
P.S. I don’t know if it’s the same hour with Buckley that’s linked above, but there’s a compilation of Buckley on Charlie Rose which you owe yourself to see. It’s on Google video somewhere.
emailnuevo on February 27, 2008 at 11:42 AM
“I’ll sock you in the goddam face and you’ll stay plastered” When men were men. Hmmm, I’m not much of a McCain supporter at all, but I can almost imagine him saying that.
kirkill on February 27, 2008 at 11:42 AM
RIP, Mr. Buckley. An absolute giant.
My dad used to watch Firing Line all the time. I thought Buckley was just some weird eccentric when I was a kid, but realized later how brilliant he was.
JammieWearingFool on February 27, 2008 at 11:43 AM
This is a perfect example about how i got it all wrong when i was a teenager. I loathed William F, Buckley (like I hated Nixon, with great passion) and we made fun of him at every opportunity in our household. Now, after watching that clip, I want to smack Vidal right in the kisser and i don’t care how old he is by now…Or is he dead too?
Buckley is a Crypto-Nazi? Gore’s projecting like all the freaking lefties always have. That approach, it’s so…old.
I wish I had it to do all over again. I’d get more things right and wouldn’t have floundered in that morass until I grew up and became a parent.
Christine on February 27, 2008 at 11:44 AM
If your like me and will be spending the next couple days mourning the loss of this immense treasure we had in Buckley, you might want to cozy up with this,…
http://hoohila.stanford.edu/firingline/programList.php
It’s mostly just an index of episodes, but it is peppered throughout with long, downloadable clips. If you get a chance, email them and demand a DVD box set!
Hiney Von Pewps on February 27, 2008 at 11:44 AM
God bless William F. I used to watch him devour liberals on “Firing Line” all the time on PBS back when PBS was worth warching. Nobody could slice them and dice them like he could.
He really will be sorely missed by me. I didn’t realize he was that old. He sure was sharp sharp sharp in his day.
saiga on February 27, 2008 at 11:45 AM
“I would sooner live in a society governed by the first two thousand names in the Boston telephone directory than in a society governed by the two thousand faculty members of Harvard University.” — William F. Buckley, Jr., c. 1965
Rest in Peace.
TheBigOldDog on February 27, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Wow. The “you’re a Nazi” slur against conservatives goes back further than I thought.
JinxMcHue on February 27, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Where the hell is drudge on this?
ninjapirate on February 27, 2008 at 11:46 AM
He moved mountains.
Halley on February 27, 2008 at 11:46 AM
Agreed.
Vizzini on February 27, 2008 at 11:47 AM
I once wrote him a really, stupid, satirical letter. It was a “contract” that overtones Monty Python in it. I also mentioned that I was a one-time subsciber to National Review.
He answered it in his own hand–in that red pen he dearly loved.
His handwriting was . . . shall we say, illegible. I sent back a copy saying I had taken it to medical transcriptionists, doctors, etc, trying to decipher it, to no avail.
A week later, I get mail back from him with a blue index card, typed out and stapled to the corner that said:
Godspeed my man. sorry I never actually met you.
-T
The Therapist on February 27, 2008 at 11:47 AM
RIP WFB. I’ve been meaning to subscribe to subscribe to NR for a while, I think I’ll do it in his honor.
Dudley Smith on February 27, 2008 at 11:50 AM
Jonah Goldberg is a good recommendation.
funky chicken on February 27, 2008 at 11:51 AM
Please don’t turn this into an Ann-Coulter-sucks thread. Buckley was a genius, he was incomparable, and while I love (and own in full) Coulter’s work, there’s simply no comparison. There never could be.
emailnuevo on February 27, 2008 at 11:52 AM
Good G-d. I remember seeing that exchange live.
Grantman on February 27, 2008 at 11:39 AM
Good G-d I wasn’t even alive yet and still this exchange and Mr. Buckley’s fortitude had a huge impact on my introduction to conservatism, via my parents and grandparents, when my parents discussed this exchange and their trusty National Review Subscription.
Cordially, WFB - Rest in Peace
Branch Rickey on February 27, 2008 at 11:52 AM
RIP valiant warrior. Thank you for all that you taught us, and for what you leave behind.
bookman on February 27, 2008 at 11:58 AM
Requeiscat in pace Mr. Buckley.
Mulligan on February 27, 2008 at 11:59 AM
One-of-a-Kind greatness. A fine speaker, thinker, and the most powerful voice for conservatism in our time.
May God bless him.
Jaibones on February 27, 2008 at 11:59 AM
A great and intelligent man who will be missed by many, including many of his opponents and adversaries.
Ugh. Horrible in that he dies just as the conservative movement itself is truly suffering. This should be taken symbolically, that because the fathers of today’s conservatism have passed does not mean the principles and ideals should go with them. Rather, let the instance push us not to let ourselves abandon those tenets which have helped our country and our people in the worst of times.
MadisonConservative on February 27, 2008 at 11:59 AM
A finer wordsmith never has lived. Chris Hitchens and Mark Steyn do what they can, but I fear it will be a long while before we again see such mastery of the language at work.
Blacklake on February 27, 2008 at 12:01 PM
I had the same thought.
peski on February 27, 2008 at 12:01 PM
He was a giant figure in my youth. He was respected in the media to a degree that no longer happens. R.I.P.
snaggletoothie on February 27, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Godspeed Mr. Buckley. Thank you for your contributions to the intellectual world!
Nethicus on February 27, 2008 at 12:03 PM
God rest your soul, William. You will be sorely missed.
tickleddragon on February 27, 2008 at 12:04 PM
Rather, let the instance push us not to let ourselves abandon those tenets which have helped our country and our people in the worst of times.
MadisonConservative on February 27, 2008 at 11:59 AM
Great tribute in itself to Mr. Buckley and his leadership of the conservative movement.
All college students should read “G-d and Man at Yale” for some strength during professor “lectures” - helped me at school, IMHO.
Branch Rickey on February 27, 2008 at 12:06 PM
He will be missed, indeed. RIP
maverick muse on February 27, 2008 at 12:06 PM
A sad day for America. RIP Mr. Buckley. God please be with The Buckley family.
L
letget on February 27, 2008 at 12:07 PM
RIP Mr. Buckley.
One of my first introductions to conservatism was my dad commenting that reading William F. Buckley was one of the best educations in English one could get. I always jumped on his editorials whenever possible and regret not reading his books (yet). A true giant, he will be missed.
Militant Bibliophile on February 27, 2008 at 12:08 PM
RIP :(
WayWard Fundamentalist Christian on February 27, 2008 at 12:09 PM
How many MSM outlets will mention he was against the Iraq war tonight on the news?
jp on February 27, 2008 at 12:09 PM
Rush just commented that he received an e-mail from Mr. Buckley last night.
stenwin77 on February 27, 2008 at 12:11 PM
RIP, Bill (I’m old enough to remember him being called that). Another member of the Goldwater-era pioneers passes on.
Our choices for president this year are pretty hard on any conservative’s heart; it probably was too much for Mr. Buckley.
michaelo on February 27, 2008 at 12:12 PM
I’ve been reading Russell Kirk’s The Conservative Mind and I just subscribed to National Review a couple of weeks ago. For me at least, old-style conservatism and giants like Buckley are still worthwhile.
RIP WFB.
Wayne Clark on February 27, 2008 at 12:13 PM
It was Buckley’s book of essays, Right Reason, that introduced me to a host of other great minds. Ironically, many of those minds — Nock, Morley, Kirk, Burnham — have remained with me as guides and are what inform me about how far off track the conservative movement has gone, the present war being the greatest example.
Buckley could entertain, enlighten, and enrage. He was a towering figure who will not likely be replaced in conservative politics.
RIP, Mr. Buckley.
Drum on February 27, 2008 at 12:14 PM
Youth is often wasted on the young, but never mind; if it weren’t for the greatness of Mr. Buckley, there might not have a rope to pull you out of that morass. May he rest in peace.
Nichevo on February 27, 2008 at 12:14 PM
If memory serves, Buckley’s eloquence graced PBS back in the day of inception. Buckley gave public exposition to thought process as Bernstein did for Beethoven’s Symphony.
maverick muse on February 27, 2008 at 12:16 PM
Yeah, I prefer Michelle Malkin & Pamela Geller any day of the week to Ann
CrapperCoulter. I also look forward to reading Jonah Goldberg and read up Jason Mercier of WPC & Marsha Louise Richards Michaelis’ of EFF’s stuff over the years.HotAirJosef on February 27, 2008 at 12:16 PM
You know, as a right of Center, Independent voter, I find this most offensive. I mean, why give them any ideas? Honestly? I doubt they’d even care.
Yeah, there are some of those who would dare to be that stupid about stuff like this, but why encourage that sort of thing?
Come on. Get real.
Thank You.
WayWard Fundamentalist Christian on February 27, 2008 at 12:19 PM
My first introduction to conservative thought was Bill Buckley on PBS. He had profound and lifelong impact on me.
God speed Mr. Buckley. I rejoice that you are reunited with your beloved wife, and mourn for our loss.
hburns on February 27, 2008 at 12:20 PM
Where he is now, National Review is exfoliated daily from the wings of Angels. RIP.
VolMagic on February 27, 2008 at 12:21 PM
Except a lot of young aspiring conservatives view Ann Coulter and the like as pillars of conservatism. I don’t dislike Coulter. She is known to have accidentally made a couple of good points. I read her column. but you can’t get your politics from her. And I’ve seen people that do.
freevillage on February 27, 2008 at 12:22 PM
I had the pleasure of meeting him on two occasions. A giant without whom Ronald Reagan would have been impossible. He alone is responsible for the modern American conservative movement. There were few isolated voices before him including Taft and Coolidge, but little organization and no platform from which to influence opinion. All was progressivism, socialism and liberalism before him. As hopeless as things seem now then they were worse then.
The conservative movement then was a tiny cadre of irreverent brilliant partisans who made an enormous difference. Reagan and now Buckley. Where will we find their replacements?
Charles Martel on February 27, 2008 at 12:22 PM
My favorite quote from Mr. Buckley (8/7/1965):
ricer1 on February 27, 2008 at 12:25 PM
Tonight at my house will be the opening of a 1975 vintage port, the smoking of a F&F Opus X, and the reading of “Let Us Talk Of Many Things.”
More than anyone else in the world, WFB made me into a conservative. I owe a good chunk of my being to him. RIP and Godspeed.
JohnTant on February 27, 2008 at 12:26 PM
Just got back from YouTube [Buckley vs Chomsky Part I] and the deranged liberals are rejoicing in the comments section. I imagine the same be true across the moonbat blogosphere.
toliver on February 27, 2008 at 12:27 PM
Thanks for that link.
Connie on February 27, 2008 at 12:29 PM
Have the liberal blogs started celebrating yet? You know it’s coming.
Gregor on February 27, 2008 at 12:29 PM
I was working next door to him (his house i should say) in Stamford. It resides within a known commune to the locals, seperated from the other lower income areas nearby. Quick story (as i was told by the neighbor)- His house is clearly from “Old Money”, as was the one next door that I was in. The exterior is/was quite unlike the Mansions of today, it appeared run down a bit and “used” (and i mean that in a good way, really, places like this should be “used”). The pool area was beautiful though!, with its aged surroundings. I thought, I would LOVE to swim in this magnificent raised pool over looking the water! Wow, the stone work all around…beautiful. The neighbor told me that he “is a really nice guy”. During the frequent times he wasn’t in town, “he gave the local children permission to swim in his pool during the hot Summer months”. I thought…Wow!, in todays world, that is awesome. Most would be afraid they would be sued if a kid slipped and fell and hurt himself. I looked at the pool and thought of little kids cooling off in it, “using” it, and my own selfish desire to swim in there, went away. I went back to my own business. True or not, i choose to “print the legend”. By the way, his house was Pink. Some may call it “Coral”, but it looke dPink to me! I thought that was funny.
HunnyWaggin on February 27, 2008 at 12:29 PM
I checked Huffington and the comments were closed.
Dork B. on February 27, 2008 at 12:30 PM
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