Comments on: William F. Buckley, Jr., RIP

By: You’re No Bill Buckley, Grover Norquist - Jonathan Rick, No Straw Men

You’re No Bill Buckley, Grover Norquist - Jonathan Rick, No Straw Men — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 22:37:47 +0000

[...] the comparison to Buckley is instructive. As Radley Balko put it in an obituary, Buckley was intellectually honest, engaged his opponents fairly, and was willing to [...]

By: The Washington Virus: Partisanship - Jonathan Rick, No Straw Men

The Washington Virus: Partisanship - Jonathan Rick, No Straw Men — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 15:20:02 +0000

[...] A year later, I lamented that, literally and figuratively, the pugilistic partisan, Grover Norquist, had replaced the courteous intellectual, William F. Buckley. [...]

By: No Straw Men : Test 4

No Straw Men : Test 4 — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:36:04 +0000

[...] head of the conservative moment. Yet the comparison to Buckley is instructive. As Radley Balko put it in an obituary, Buckley was intellectually honest, engaged his opponents fairly, and was willing to [...]

By: lawecon

lawecon — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:46:05 +0000

Well, I can’t agree that Buckley’s conservatism and libertarianism had a lot in common. It is true that up to the late 70s there were a number of people who still believed in the ideological ideals of the American Revolution and who called themselves “conservatives.” But that is never what Buckley meant by that term. What he meant by conservatism was exactly what Edmund Burke and every British Tory following him has meant by “conservatism” : a strong adversion to rational and consistent reasoning about political or economic topics, a belief that the unwashed masses must be kept in their place by a self-appointed class of autocrats, a profession of the importance of religious values and public morals [but with the understanding that these "noble lies" are not to be taken serious by such autocrats who, obviously, are above such things], and, last but hardly least, a substitution of rhetoric for thought.

By: The Charters Of Dreams

The Charters Of Dreams — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:32:35 +0000

“Conservatism would do well to return to turn away from the ugly populism that currently has the movement by the throat, and move toward Buckley’s more elitist-tinged skepticism of power”

Exactly right!

While usually, esp. for a man of Buckley’s stature and achievement, it is in the natural order of things to more celebrate his life than to morn his death there is nevertheless a sad note to Buckley’s passing, and that is the conservative movement he started proceeded him to the grave.

By: Sean Clancey

Sean Clancey — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:20:24 +0000

The author of that quote was a man by the name of Richard Cowan,
who was director of NORML from 1992-1995, and who know operates a superb website devoted to marijuana issues at

http://www.marijuananews.com

By: The International House of Bacon » Blog Archive » Thursday AM Links

The International House of Bacon » Blog Archive » Thursday AM Links — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:17:27 +0000

[...] For a pretty great overview of the importance, Reason pulls it together kind of nicely, and Radley Balko hits a lot of notes that went through my [...]

By: kdw

kdw — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 06:40:01 +0000

Right-wingers often leave my speechless, buy Schneider you win a special award.

The first part of the award is for living in a magical fairyland where liberals have had significant power for the past decade. As far as I can tell Clinton’s power got checked mid-term, and no liberals had power thereafter.

The second part of the award is for taking your absurdist fairy-land dream of liberal oppression and spewing all over an obituary with it.

Thank you, right-wing Schneider, for reconfirming my belief that the vast majority of self-identified GOP members are not just completely out of touch with reality (as evidenced by the first part of the award) but that you’re also an enormous cock.

By: Josh

Josh — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 03:15:14 +0000

Well done, very heartfelt post, Radley. Rest in peace, Bill.

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:44:38 +0000

Please excuse, the unnecessary use of commas, in my previous, post.

By: pris

pris — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:17:19 +0000

Radley,
That was the most eloquent reminisence of William Buckley Jr I have read. Thank you- he will be missed- I am waiting to read what Gore Vidal has to say. Their debates were the pinpoint of 1968.

By: Chris Grieb

Chris Grieb — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 01:04:42 +0000

I was reminded of opposition to the “war on drugs” by the post about him on Hit & Run. I revised some comments I had made about him. Your post was great.

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:30:50 +0000

Radley, regarding, the quote you use at the top of your post, Pete Guither, says that it does not actually belong to William F. Buckley himself. He simply made it famous.

http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/2008/02/27.html#a2721

Regardless, may you R.I.P. Mr. Buckley

By: Mike Schneider

Mike Schneider — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:13:17 +0000

> Where Buckley stood athwart the tide of history and beat it back
> with wit, sophistication, and argument….

Not at all. Buckley *talked* while the left *acted*.

Beck nails it right on the head: http://www.two–four.net/weblog.php?id=P3588

Buckley should have signed wearily, got out of his chair, and popped Vidal’s nose like a grape under a hammer, then walked out of the studio. — Instead, his legacy was to create two generations of conservative “commentators” who sat on their big fat butts in front of microphones and keyboards, and did nothing but call our the play-by-play in flowery language as the Left grabbed the world by the throat and bent her over the rail.

By: j a higginbotham

j a higginbotham — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:03:01 +0000

Is there a good reference for that quote? The web attributes it to p j orourke, buckley, and someone from norml.

By: William F. Buckley is dead? « Entitled to an Opinion

William F. Buckley is dead? « Entitled to an Opinion — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 22:29:51 +0000

[...] 2008 William F. Buckley is dead? Posted by teageegeepea under Uncategorized I just saw this at the Agitator. I personally can’t forgive Buckley for all the people he “kicked off [...]

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 22:05:42 +0000

Great post. He was, and still is, one of my ideological heroes. I don’t agree with everything, but he was honest and a great thinker.

By: butchbailey.com » Blog Archive » William F. Buckley

butchbailey.com » Blog Archive » William F. Buckley — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:33:30 +0000

[...] ideas without an agenda other than the truth. WFB was a master. I can’t say it better than Radley, so I’ll shamelessly quote him [...]

By: William F. Buckley, Jr. RIP at Punditry by the Pint

William F. Buckley, Jr. RIP at Punditry by the Pint — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:31:47 +0000

[...] Radley Balko [...]

By: Ochressandro

Ochressandro — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:50:38 +0000

“ascent to power”

—-

Well written.