I am sad to read that this morning William F. Buckley, Jr., passed away. Buckley played a key role in the intellectual establishment of the modern conservative movement, as a pioneer during the pre-Reagan era when his voice, and that of his publication, National Review, were literally a voice in the wilderness.
Over the years I had many opportunities to chat with Mr. Buckley, who was instrumental in the founding of Young Americans for Freedom, the conservative youth organization in which I was extremely involved during my college days.
Rest In Peace, my friend.
There is a short blurb up on the National Review website, but look for a lot more as news of Buckley’s passing becomes widespread…
February 27th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I was a freshman at University of San Diego in 1974. The student union sponsored a debate between Mr. Buckley and Mayor Alioto of San Francisco. Mr. Buckley wiped the floor with Mayor Alioto and he didn’t break a sweat. Needless to say this had a profound impact on me and gave me a great perspective on the conservative agenda. This is the agenda that Mr. Buckley carried the torch for when it wasn’t very popular. Thank God for his life and impact on our country.