My First Memory of William F. Buckley, Jr.

It's been a week since the death of William F. Buckley, Jr.

As a conservative, I would be remiss if I did not write something in his memory. This is a week late simply because I've been so busy with other matters.

In the intervening week, many media sources, especially mainstream print and network, have produced and aired/printed exhaustive treatments of Mr. Buckley's full and amazing life and influence on modern, post-WWII American politics.

Thus, I'll make my own small contribution a personal one.

Growing up in downstate Illinois about the time Mr. Buckley founded National Review, I, of course, had little knowledge of him in my pre-school years. However, as a late pre-teen, I was treated to live coverage of the Democratic National Convention being held just upstate from us, in Chicago, in 1968.

My very first awareness of Mr. Buckley came from his stint as the conservative half of the original 'Hannity & Colmes' team during that convention. ABC hired Buckley and Gore Vidal to represent conservative and liberal views, moderated, if you can call it that, by then-news anchor Howard K. Smith.

Originally, for this post, I expected to write about the exchange still etched in my memory. Then, I thought....YouTube!

And, what do you know, but to my wondering eyes appeared the clip of the very 3 minutes or so of my first memory of the late Mr. Buckley in action. Good thing, too, because I was off in my memory by four years. I thought this interaction occurred in 1964. But the content is just as I recalled.

So, without further introduction....

Buckley v. Gore at the 1968 Democratic National Convention on ABC



Note the era of conservative suits and somewhat restrained manners. Until, that is, Gore calls Buckley a 'crypto-Nazi.' Then Buckley lets loose on the live feed with words for which, today, he'd probably be called on to recant.

Ah, for the simpler times of old.....

As a further tribute to Mr. Buckley, here is a clip of him espousing his views on the necessary qualifications for the Oval Office occupant circa 1968. I think Buckley is still on target today, as well.

Additionally, this clip portrays Buckley behaving quintessentially. The verbiage, mannerisms and delivery are just classic.

Like Reagan, he'd been gone from the public scene for a while before his death. Never the less, I'll still miss him, as well.

Buckley on Presidential Qualifications for 1968





Still makes sense, doesn't it?