Ed Morrissey:
He brought together the disparate factions of the Right into one umbrella and made conservatism a potent political force.
Reason's Jacob Sullum touches on Buckley's near-universal appeal:
For left-liberals, I realized, he was a house-broken conservative, witty, learned, and cordial even while espousing horrifying opinions. Although many of today's most conspicuous conservatives eschew that role, Buckley's dignified, thoughtful approach earned the conservative movement mainstream credibility and may even have persuaded a few people, instead of simply stirring up the mob.
Even Ken Layne over at Wonkette puts the snark on hold for a witty, kind gesture:
He was a man of fine character, and nothing proved that more than the fact that Ayn Rand would melodramatically stomp out of the room if she saw Buckley.
Jane Hamsher put down the political guns for a brief respite:
I grew up watching Buckley, and I have to admit there was something appealing about how strongly he cut against the grain of conventional political wisdom of the time.I'd rather avoid the few low-brow offerings on Buckley's passing, but I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't offer you the full picture. So, if you must, the so-called "Moderate Voice," uses Buckley's death to, of course, attack George Bush. They have a point, but it would have been much classier to wait till tomorrow. Oh well.
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Comments
At least now that he's dead, WF can roll over in his grave every time someone calls Hannity or Limbaugh an icon of journalistic conservatism...
Posted by: JEP
| February 28, 2008 9:19 AM
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