R.I.P. William F. Buckley
February 27th, 2008 by jacob
I remember watching Buckley years ago on TV. The guy was brilliant, old school, and did not flinch. This WFB was one of several writers who helped mold my world outlook, and frankly I am real sorry to see him go.
William F Buckley on Bush: “I think Mr. Bush faces a singular problem best defined, I think, as the absence of effective conservative ideology - with the result that he ended up being very extravagant in domestic spending, extremely tolerant of excesses by Congress,”
This was stated years ago. I did not agree back then, to my eternal shame, I have since come to see my error. The world is a darker place now. Good luck sir,I hope to catch to you some time down the road.
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February 27th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
I concur, and add that Conservatism has lost one of it’s most brilliant advocates.
February 27th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
I would like to know what was so brilliant about Bill Buckley. To me he seemed like the ultimate effete snob who lived in a bubble. Years back I read about him agreeing to take the subway to a baseball game, the first time he had ever been on public transport. Said he’d NEVER, NEVER do that again.
I agree though, that it was fun to watch him on talk shows. Learned many words I didn’t even know existed and, of course, never have had occasion to use. We need people like that. But brilliant….
February 27th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
So aversion to public transportation is inversely proportional to intelligence? Hmm, I guess that’s why I’ve always had that nagging sense that “I am now surrounded by geniuses” whenever I ride the Metro.
February 27th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Skewing, Joe! The public transport incident shows his snobbery. Snobbery and intelligence can coexist, which it evidently did in Buckley. I think he was highly intelligent. I simply have an aversion to the word “brilliant”; it’s overused. AND: Your “ratio” statement is irrelevant to my comment.
February 27th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
I hardly consider that snobbery. As you said, he was going to a baseball game. I have done that myself — the crowding is horrible. I took P.T. to a game at FedEx field. We waited HOURS for buses to get us out after the game.
In any event, neither being effete nor being a snob have any bearing on one’s intellect.
February 27th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Public transportation to and from sporting events is abysmal in most places. I do not blame him. As for being a snob for not wanting to wait in line for 3 hours after a game to get on a bus, you have gots to be kidding.
February 28th, 2008 at 4:17 am
[…] already noted this, and of course it’s the big story of the day in the conservative blogosphere: But for the […]
February 28th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
I’m sure that all those brilliant, wealthy senators like HRC, Kennedy, Rockefeller, Feinstein, Kerry and the other defenders of the working class make it a point to take mass transit lest they appear snobbish or elitist.
February 29th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Ted:
You cannot use the brilliant, Kennedy, Rockefeller, Feinstein, Kerry and Clinton in the same sentence. It simply cannot be done.