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William F. Buckley Passes

Discussion in '2008 Archive' started by swaimj, Feb 27, 2008.

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  1. swaimj

    swaimj <img src=/swaimj.gif>

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    Buckley was the founder of National Review, historically, the most influential conservative magazine of opinion. It's rise prefigured the rise of the Reagan Revolution and helped sustain the conservative movement.

    My two favorite memories of Buckley have to do with debates sponsored by his PBS TV show Firing Line. In the late 70s, a debate aired on the subject of the Panama Canal giveaway. Participants included Buckley, Geroge Will (both of whom took the side IN FAVOR of the giveaway) and Ronald Reagan. The debate was moderated by NC Senator Sam Ervin. The debate is a classic and helped launch Reagan's successful run against Jimmy Carter in 1980.

    Second favorite moment was in a debate whose topic I cannot remember. However, one of Buckley's opponents was Gary Hart, who by that time had long fallen from grace because of the Donna Rice affair. Buckley had a turn at quizzing Hart. Buckley launched into a litany of positions Hart had taken (nuclear freeze, against Reagan tax cuts, etc) which had been proven wrong by the Reagan years. Buckley kept saying, "does it embarrass you" that you took those positions? At the end, Hart answered quickly, "No, it does not embarrass me at all." Buckley responded, "Well, then, does anything embarrass you?" This was a not-so-subtle reminder of why Hart had been eliminated as a serious candidate. The audience roared with laughter and and hooted. Hart became furious and launched into a tirade about policy, but it was obvious why he was mad. During the tirade, the camera switched to Buckley who was seen winking at Hart.
     
    #1 swaimj, Feb 27, 2008
  2. Rippon

    Rippon Well-Known Member
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    I will miss Mr. Buckley . I adored his ability as a wordsmith extraordinaire . I agreed with most of his political views . His wit could not be matched . I have a couple of his books . He was one-of-a-kind .
     
    #2 Rippon, Feb 27, 2008
  3. Rippon

    Rippon Well-Known Member
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    Does anyone remember David Frye doing imitations of WFB ?
     
    #3 Rippon, Feb 27, 2008
  4. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    I do.

    I wish Mr. Buckley well in the next age.
     
    #4 KenH, Feb 27, 2008
  5. Ps104_33

    Ps104_33 New Member

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    I hve been receiving the National Review off and on for years and read it from cover to cover. I will miss him.
     
    #5 Ps104_33, Feb 28, 2008
  6. Timsings

    Timsings Member
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    Today the NPR program Fresh Air replayed an interview with Buckley from 1989. Terry Gross asked him about people who did impressions of him. Buckley gave an interesting analysis of why impressions are so funny. He said that he had once hired (Buckley said "retained") David Frye to entertain at a gathering which Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon, among others, would be attending because Frye did such good impressions of them. I remember Frye. He also did a great Lyndon Johnson and George Wallace. Somehow he could re-shape his face to look like Johnson and Nixon. The interview was very well done. Buckley was obviously enjoying himself.

    Tim Reynolds
     
    #6 Timsings, Feb 28, 2008
  7. Rippon

    Rippon Well-Known Member
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    That's neat TS . I know that doing excellent impressions is not a gift of the Spirit , but it sure qualifies in my book as a Superhero power .

    I am not good at impressions . Off the top of my head I can only do a pretty fair imitation of my dad and James Boice .
     
    #7 Rippon, Feb 29, 2008
  8. Rippon

    Rippon Well-Known Member
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    From The March 3 Edition Of Human Events

    [ A totally unscriptural political cartoon depicting William F. Buckley appearing before the Pearly Gates .]

    Ontologically speaking , would you say it's phenomenologically ironic ( in the Hegelian sense , of course ) that a posterior validation of providence remains empirically elusive until one's own pneuma peregrinates to the realm of the metaphysical ?
     
    #8 Rippon, Mar 26, 2008
  9. Timsings

    Timsings Member
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    Indubitably, however I am more existentially aligned with Kierkegaard.


    Tim Reynolds
     
    #9 Timsings, Mar 27, 2008
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