In the wake of William F. Buckley’s passing on Wednesday, Yeas & Nays asked those close to him or inspired by him for their thoughts on his life. Below, some of their responses:
“Before there was Goldwater or Reagan, there was Bill Buckley. … It was not until William F. Buckley Jr., founded National Review Magazine in 1955 that the tide began to slowly turn for conservatives.” – Newt Gingrich
“For half a century he presided, with both great seriousness and real humor, over a large network of writers and thinkers who changed the American mind. I more than suspect that, in the end, however, he had little respect for those who conducted the actual politics of conservatism.” – Martin Peretz, editor of the New
| AP |
Republic
“In the battle over ideas, the conservative movement has lost its commander in chief.” – Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind.
“Bill not only provided an incubator to the young movement, but took it upon himself to travel the country popularizing its core ideas with whit, humor and a willingness to take on all comers. He was an inspiration to the young conservatives of my generation and he will be missed by those who knew him personally as well as by all who value freedom, tradition and the dry good humor he displayed in battle after battle. To say that Bill Buckley was important is an understatement. His life reminds us of what one man can accomplish, but few even attempt. He will be mourned and he will be missed and, most of all, he will be remembered.” – David Keene, chairman, American Conservative Union
“I think of him in very personal terms. I was in big trouble, my life was over and he just tried to help – he and [his wife] Pat – and then things got better and they just become great friends. … I had a good cry this morning and I was on my knees and prayed to Jesus to look after Bill Buckley.” – CNBC’s Larry Kudlow
“What did William F. Buckley mean to me? Ask William Buckley Breitbart.”
– Andrew Breitbart, editor of Breitbart.com, referring to his infant son
“Not only was he always at the top of his game, but he was amazingly generous with his advice, his wisdom and his time. Many times I asked his advice on some project or other, for a book blurb or introduction, and it never seemed to matter how busy he was, he always responded immediately.” – Alfred S. Regnery, publisher of the American Spectator and author of “Upstream: The Ascendance of American Conservatism”
“If you don’t like his politics, you can still love his novels.” – Bill Press
“One of the most satisfying and memorable experiences of my career was sailing with Mr. Buckley on Long Island Sound.” – Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.
“Through his magazine, his TV show, his newspaper column, his books and his lectures, Buckley ‘taught’ modern conservative thought to me and millions of other Americans.” – Heritage Foundation President Edwin Feulner
“My dad was a charter subscriber to National Review and I started reading it as a teenager. Buckley’s wit and smarts and sense of mischief captured me. I still haven’t recovered.” – Weekly Standard Editor Fred Barnes
“I … left the neighborhood football field early on Sunday to watch ‘Firing Line.’ ”
– Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Fla.
“Bill was so unusual for an American public intellectual — heactually had a profoundly decent and yet interesting private life. He was a deeply charming, witty and very kind man who bubbled with ideas and possessed the talents of a dozen people.”
– Ambassador Richard Carlson
“Reading the magazine in public was an act of defiance. Embracing the ideas within was an act of heresy.” – syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin
“Buckley helped create the modern conservative movement and lived to see his creation bring Ronald Reagan to the presidency, the collapse of the Soviet Union and a Republican Congress. He was also a very good writer of spy novels.” – Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform
“Now, Buckley has a lot more in common with Ron Paul Republicans than Mike Huckabee Republicans. … He was a proven conservative with a strong libertarian streak.” – former congressman Joe Scarborough, host, MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”
“What a great guy he was, both in print and in person. He didn’t waste a minute of his life, which is about the best you can say of anyone.” – MSNBC’s Tucker Carlson
“What I will remember most about him was the fact that he was the most well-mannered man I’ve ever met. He understood that manners are those things you do to make others feel welcome. The largeness of his soul amazed me.” – National Review Online editor at large Jonah Goldberg
“I can remember those debates they had on TV, and he was so articulate and he captured the imagination of a lot of folks because he was – he had agreat way of defining the issues. It was erudite and yet a lot of folks from different walks of life could understand it.” – President Bush
