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July 25, 2008 4:11:33 PM CDT

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Writers Parse Buckley's Legacy

Posted Feb 28, 08 3:36 PM CST in Arts & Living,  US 

(Newser) – William F. Buckley Jr. was a titan on the political scene, carving out his own brand of conservatism. But one day after his death, writers differ on his legacy:

  • At Slate, Timothy Noah notes Buckley’s more noxious stances—defending segregationists and Joe McCarthy—and says it’s good fortune “Buckley’s man Ronald Reagan” didn’t accomplish goals of turning back civil-rights law and shrinking government. George W. Bush’s ascendance thankfully marked a return to Republicanism at peace with the New Deal.

  • Buckley biographer John Judis writes in the New Republic the late conservative went far on “gentleness and consideration,” managing to “fancy” himself anti-establishment while being a pragmatist and everyone’s friend. But Judis says Buckley’s vision died not because old-school Republicanism was reborn but rather because the religious right came to Washington.
  • Joe Lieberman, writing in the National Review, remembers winning Buckley’s support in his 1998 Senate race. He says the dynamo was so impressive because he “rejected extremism” and built a “modern American conservative moment” that “wasn’t necessarily a Republican movement.”

Sources: Slate, New Republic, National Review

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William F. Buckley Jr., and his wife Patricia attend Truman Capote's Black and White Ball at the Plaza Hotel in New York on Nov. 28, 1966. Buckley, the erudite Ivy Leaguer and conservative herald who...   (Associated Press)
President Bush shakes hands with National Review founder William F. Buckley, Jr., left, after a tribute to the magazine and Buckley on Oct. 6, 2005 in Washington. Buckley, the erudite Ivy Leaguer and...   (Associated Press)
William F. Buckley Jr. left, talks with former California Gov. Ronald Reagan at the South Carolina Governor's Mansion in Columbia S.C., on Jan. 13,1978, after the two debated the Panama Canal Treaty....   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Conservative Icon William F. Buckley, Jr. Dies   (AssociatedPress (YouTube))
Noam Chomsky vs. William F. Buckley Debate : Part 1 of 2   (Proverbs13i16 (YouTube))

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