RIP William F. Buckley

[nitrah55]

His demise arrived at the age of four score and two. (I think that's the way he would have said it.)

[Appa23]

I will miss Bill.

It was in late September that I was asked what only could be described as a rhetorical question: "President Lambert has selected some students to join Mr. Buckley and him for lunch prior to the University's convocation. Would you be interested?"

The featured part of Convocation, the Loreine Collins Dietrich Distinguished Lecture Series hosted President Gerald Ford, United Nations Ambassador Jeane J. Kirkpatrick and William F. Buckley, Jr., during my short time in college. [During my wife's Junior year, it was Margaret Thatcher, and the next few years saw Dick Cheney and George Will as guest speakers. Can you guess the political persuasion of Ms. Dietrich?]

As a Freshman, I was totally in awe of the entire situation, including meeting Mr. Buckley and spending that much time listening to him talk in conversation. When Presdient Lambert asked me how I was enjoying lunch, I admitted that I had expected to see a dictionary under my seat, so that I could better understand Mr. Buckley's stories.

[peacock2121]

I will miss Myron.

Bill.... not so much.

I do appreciate the fact that he was vocal in his beliefs and faught for what he thought was right.

[ne1410s]

it was Margaret Thatcher, and the next few years saw Dick Cheney and George Will as guest speakers. Can you guess the political persuasion of Ms. Dietrich?]

My alma mater has had, as commencement speakers the past few years, President WJC, Stephen Colbert, Sen. Barack Obama, and this years will be Madeleine Albright.

I think our respective speakers will cancel each others votes...

[Appa23]

it was Margaret Thatcher, and the next few years saw Dick Cheney and George Will as guest speakers. Can you guess the political persuasion of Ms. Dietrich?]

My alma mater has had, as commencement speakers the past few years, President WJC, Stephen Colbert, Sen. Barack Obama, and this years will be Madeleine Albright.

I think our respective speakers will cancel each others votes...

I wonder what kind of speech Obama gave.

That same Freshman year, Dan Quayle was the commencement speaker. (He was a relative of Bishop Quayle, who had been a major donor / bigwig for Baker University) Quayle gave a very bland speech. Imagine my surprise when he was the VP choice of Bush.

Later, in law school, Clarence Thomas came to give a speech at Creighton (where he wife had graduated). It was before his confirmation hearing, and he was under very strict orders to not discuss anything that could be controversial in the least part. Again, not a very intersting speech.

(I can imagine, becuause of that connection, the CBS nihgtly news had an affilaite interview Creighton law students during the Thomas-Hill hearings.)

[trevor_macfee]

Sad to see him go. Although I am far from him politically, I totally respect his wit and his thoughtfulness.

I sort of met him at my tiny Alabama college. He was a speaker at a fundraising dinner, and I volunteered to help serve and all the volunteers got some time with him before dinner. I brought two books for him to autograph so that I could give them to my dad - his political views aligned just about perfectly with Buckley's. He was very gracious and asked me about my dad, etc.

The next time I went home, bringing my dad those books autographed by the author surprised and delighted him. I'm just sorry I didn't do more stuff like that for my dad while he was alive to do things for. (Sorry to end on a negative note, but hopefully a little nudge to those who still have dads around.)

[kusch]

it was Margaret Thatcher, and the next few years saw Dick Cheney and George Will as guest speakers. Can you guess the political persuasion of Ms. Dietrich?]

My alma mater has had, as commencement speakers the past few years, President WJC, Stephen Colbert, Sen. Barack Obama, and this years will be Madeleine Albright.

I think our respective speakers will cancel each others votes...

I still question my sanity for sending my daughter to that college.

Her commencment speaker was John Podesta---2002. I wonder how many years you have to go back to find the last good speaker.

[VAdame]

Awww...I'll miss him too.

I remember a MAD Magazine piece years ago about Liberals vs Conservatives.

Liberals: Secretly wish William F. Buckley were a liberal. And secretly wish Ted Kennedy weren't!

I have to admit it's true

[ghostjmf]

Gee, when I say "good riddance to bad rubbish" everyone will tell me how bad I am.

And he was a pornography writer too! Yeah, old Bill sure had all the bases covered.

[silvercamaro]

Gee, when I say "good riddance to bad rubbish" everyone will tell me how bad I am.

And he was a pornography writer too! Yeah, old Bill sure had all the bases covered.

Pardon? Could you direct me to some of his "unapproved" writings? I don't feel the need to read pornography, mind you, but I am most curious about the kinds of things that have raised your ire.

(There's a part of me that thinks "Surely, ghost has confused Mr. Buckley with Gore Vidal or someone else.)

[ghostjmf]

He wrote some kind of novel (actually, more than one eventually). In the review reviewers noted how hip & trendy & "unconservative" he was by having sex scenes in the novel. Now I know the ante has been kinda upped on how explicit (& creepy, violent, etc) you have to be to be considered to be writing pornography these days, but when it was written, that's what it was.

And still is as far as I'm concerned.

What was interesting is how the reviewers all gave it a pass because it was Buckley writing it. Like "it was cute coming from a self-proclaimed pundit, while it would just be 'yuch' coming from the usual hack writer".

[MarleysGh0st]

He wrote some kind of novel (actually, more than one eventually). In the review reviewers noted how hip & trendy & "unconservative" he was by having sex scenes in the novel. Now I know the ante has been kinda upped on how explicit (& creepy, violent, etc) you have to be to be considered to be writing pornography these days, but when it was written, that's what it was.

And still is as far as I'm concerned.

So you classify anyone who writes a novel with a sex scene in it as a pornographer?

[silvercamaro]

He wrote some kind of novel (actually, more than one eventually). In the review reviewers noted how hip & trendy & "unconservative" he was by having sex scenes in the novel. Now I know the ante has been kinda upped on how explicit (& creepy, violent, etc) you have to be to be considered to be writing pornography these days, but when it was written, that's what it was.

And still is as far as I'm concerned.

What was interesting is how the reviewers all gave it a pass because it was Buckley writing it. Like "it was cute coming from a self-proclaimed pundit, while it would just be 'yuch' coming from the usual hack writer".

Ah. I think I know what novel you mean. "The Rake" had sex scenes, but they were so pedantic and non-erotic that many (maybe most) critics made fun of the book at the time. (No one seems to think it's gotten any better since.)

Personally, I wouldn't consider this "writing porn," but you are welcome to your opinion.

[ghostjmf]

Marley says:

So you classify anyone who writes a novel with a sex scene in it as a pornographer?

If it has no, what was that phrase...yeah! "redeeming social value", yeah.

[MarleysGh0st]

Ah. I think I know what novel you mean. "The Rake" had sex scenes, but they were so pedantic and non-erotic that many (maybe most) critics made fun of the book at the time. (No one seems to think it's gotten any better since.)

I hadn't heard of that one; I thought ghost was talking about his Blackford Oakes series.

According to Booklist (quoted on the Amazon.com page), The Rake is a "satire-tinged thriller" about a fictional 1992 presidential candidate who could be likened to Bill Clinton.

I wonder if there could be any redeeming social value in that?

[Buffacuse]

It always frosted me when I heard him referred to as a "thinking man's conservative." Did anyone ever refer to John Kenneth Galbraith as a "thinking man's liberal?"

Anyway--it is always a loss when we lose smart people who care about this country.

[ghostjmf]

Buffacuse says:

it is always a loss when we lose smart people who care about this country.

Oh, agreed. However, in this case what we've lost is a snide, creepy jerk who cared entirely too much about himself, & about little else.

I grew up in the "Buckley on every TV talk show" era, so I know well whomof I speak. Revolting "only very rich Americans from a particular corner of Connecticut would dare to talk like this" accent, too.

Like I said, no great loss here. However, you will all note I didn't personally push him while he toddled out onto the ice, or whatever.

[wintergreen48]

I grew up in the "Buckley on every TV talk show" era, so I know well whomof I speak. Revolting "only very rich Americans from a particular corner of Connecticut would dare to talk like this" accent, too.

I think that this is rather unfair: his 'accent' was a factor of (1) English was not his first language (it was his third, after French and Spanish), and (2) he learned English while living in Britain, NOT in Connecticut.

And, of course, he was 'on every TV talk show' precisely because he had a lot to say that was of interest to a lot of people.

Be nice.

[ghostjmf]

wintergreen says:

And, of course, he was 'on every TV talk show' precisely because he had a lot to say that was of interest to a lot of people.

No, actually he was on every TV talk show because he was an extreme egotist. As were most frequent guests in that era who had other-than-guest (i.e. "real") careers. On the talk shows' parts, though, they were glad to get a volunteer right-winger without having to search too hard.

Buckley's act was to be interminably snide & to use that nasty "I am a superior creature" drawl. Sorry, I've heard a lot of snide, think-they're-superior British people in my life too, & Buckley didn't sound British in the 60s & 70s, which is when I heard him. He sounded "intentionally upper-crusty Connecticut".

Lotsa people raised in Britain but who emigrated here don't drawl snidely, by the way. Lots who stay in in Britain don't either.

[silvercamaro]

So, if I understand you correctly, your major problem with Buckley was that he was born to a wealthy family and didn't try to hide it.

[ghostjmf]

silvercam says:

So, if I understand you correctly, your major problem with Buckley was that he was born to a wealthy family and didn't try to hide it.

Nope. My "problem" (obviously, I don't think its one) with Buckley is/was his politics & his delivery of them. Lots of people are born to wealthy families & don't try to hide it; I could point to many great philanthropists with that background. Not all people born to wealthy families put on snidely airs, either.

Whatever their politics.

[Beebs52]

silvercam says:

So, if I understand you correctly, your major problem with Buckley was that he was born to a wealthy family and didn't try to hide it.

Nope. My "problem" (obviously, I don't think its one) with Buckley is/was his politics & his delivery of them. Lots of people are born to wealthy families & don't try to hide it; I could point to many great philanthropists with that background. Not all people born to wealthy families put on snidely airs, either.

Whatever their politics.

True, some people born to wealthy families drive their passengers off bridges. Oops!

[Beebs52]

Buffacuse says:

it is always a loss when we lose smart people who care about this country.

Oh, agreed. However, in this case what we've lost is a snide, creepy jerk who cared entirely too much about himself, & about little else.

I grew up in the "Buckley on every TV talk show" era, so I know well whomof I speak. Revolting "only very rich Americans from a particular corner of Connecticut would dare to talk like this" accent, too.

Like I said, no great loss here. However, you will all note I didn't personally push him while he toddled out onto the ice, or whatever.

Also, Ghost, seriously. I grew up in the same era. I found him immensely entertaining and amusing. I took no offense at his accent and enjoyed him once, at the University of Washington, in the early 70's, debating the local loudest, egotistic, professorial communist intellectual in an auditorium, and beating that guy soundly about the ears. We're talking the left coast here. People cheered and huzza-ed and hoisted him on their shoulders.
I might have lied about that part, the shoulders, but, what I'm saying is if accents colored my opinions about some folks I'd be talking/listening to nobody. Buckley was funnier than shit. And extremely smart and aware and educated.

And, he didn't drive anyone over a bridge.

Thank you. I may be here all day.

[SloppyDrunkGuy]

silvercam says:

So, if I understand you correctly, your major problem with Buckley was that he was born to a wealthy family and didn't try to hide it.

Nope. My "problem" (obviously, I don't think its one) with Buckley is/was his politics & his delivery of them. Lots of people are born to wealthy families & don't try to hide it; I could point to many great philanthropists with that background. Not all people born to wealthy families put on snidely airs, either.

Whatever their politics.

True, some people born to wealthy families drive their passengers off bridges. Oops!

Hey! I (hic!) don't remembeber that happening... (Hic!) and I wuzh shober that night too, sho I'd (hic, hic!) know.... (HIC!) BELCH!

[NellyLunatic1980]

To me, Bill Buckley will always be just a stretched-out old whore, but I will give credit where credit is due. He represented true conservatism, not this nihilistic fascism disguised as conservatism that people like Bush/Cheney foist on us. Buckley worshippers like Barry Goldwater would not be welcome in the current Republican Party. Plus, Buckley knew even back in 2004 that the occupation in Iraq was a huge mistake and disaster.