The Firing Line panel debates deserve mention for garnering respect from young open-minded Liberals for Buckley’s views. They could hardly write him off when his side of a resolution had Ira Glasser as a panel member.
A delightful alternative to the Academy Awards program in 1991:
Buckley was the one figure of my young years who made me aware that there might be another end to the spectrum - although it would take me a half-century to sidle over there. and I guess now I am going to read that paperback I picked up on some giveaway bookshelf- Saving the Queen. "Fascinating, exciting, and uniquely different" is the David Niven blurb....It will be fun thinking of him on vacation in the Alps, and remembering my father who told me that the Albert Jay Nock Society announced its annual meeting by putting a note to that effect under a rock in Central Park...Thank you for this remarkable "unpotted" biography!
Only after he'd written a long column defending Sobran and declaring that Sobran was staying. One sentence was something along the lines of "Joe Sobran cannot be antisemitic because he is Joe Sobran." I believe Sobran was only fired many months later. NR was certainly worth subscribing to while WFB was still involved and President Reagan was writing letters to the editor.
Sorry Doc - but "the claim that Buckley is the most influential journalist in American history" needs a modifier: "the claim that Buckley is the most influential CONSERVATIVE journalist in American history" to have any chance being within a hail Mary of true.
People like Cronkite and couple of very duplicitous Walters were far more influential - in the wrong direction, of course, but, without the modifier, legitimacy isn't part of the issue.
At Stuyvesant HS in the mid 1960s, I was in William Ince's journalism class. For some assignment, or maybe on general principles, I picked up copies of The Nation, The New Republic, and National Review to compare their takes on current events. NR gave me a sense that there was a coherent conservative perspective worthy of attention.
One of Buckley’s favorite guests on Firing Line was Allard Lowenstein, a civil rights and anti-Vietnam war activist who was intelligent, witty and could joust on par with Buckley. I wonder have any of his shows been saved?
Thanks so much, Phillip. I should have figured it out myself, but now others reading this can learn or be reminded of how special ALK was. This loving retrospective of Al’s appearances on Firing Line, assembled by Buckley himself, is such a special treat, not just because it reminds us of how unique was his blend of intelligence, wit and heart, but because the civilized and elevated debate it illustrates seems so distant from anything we could hope to hear today in our polarized and dumbed down world.
Would that National Review live up to his standards today
Superb.
I was just too young ,back in the day, to begin to understand WFBJ’s impact.
But even as a kid, watching on our TV, I knew he was something special.
His..sort of English demeanour and accent made me feel that there was a bit of a “Regal Edict” when he spoke.
But, endearingly, without the “Us and you Peasants” divide.
Thank You!
The Firing Line panel debates deserve mention for garnering respect from young open-minded Liberals for Buckley’s views. They could hardly write him off when his side of a resolution had Ira Glasser as a panel member.
A delightful alternative to the Academy Awards program in 1991:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3LkdNzOlAU4
Would love to see an AI generated debate between WFB and either Trump or Carlson. Would be a great pay for view!
Buckley was the one figure of my young years who made me aware that there might be another end to the spectrum - although it would take me a half-century to sidle over there. and I guess now I am going to read that paperback I picked up on some giveaway bookshelf- Saving the Queen. "Fascinating, exciting, and uniquely different" is the David Niven blurb....It will be fun thinking of him on vacation in the Alps, and remembering my father who told me that the Albert Jay Nock Society announced its annual meeting by putting a note to that effect under a rock in Central Park...Thank you for this remarkable "unpotted" biography!
James Buckley had an odd accent, too, but less blatant. By the way, WFB exiled Joe Sobran from NR for antisemitism.
Not the 1st time went to War. The John Birch Society, he (rightly) destroyed.
And Pat Buchanan
In Search of Anti-Semitism with William F. Buckley, Jr (1993)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1mpHTFFn-Y
Only after he'd written a long column defending Sobran and declaring that Sobran was staying. One sentence was something along the lines of "Joe Sobran cannot be antisemitic because he is Joe Sobran." I believe Sobran was only fired many months later. NR was certainly worth subscribing to while WFB was still involved and President Reagan was writing letters to the editor.
Sorry Doc - but "the claim that Buckley is the most influential journalist in American history" needs a modifier: "the claim that Buckley is the most influential CONSERVATIVE journalist in American history" to have any chance being within a hail Mary of true.
People like Cronkite and couple of very duplicitous Walters were far more influential - in the wrong direction, of course, but, without the modifier, legitimacy isn't part of the issue.
At Stuyvesant HS in the mid 1960s, I was in William Ince's journalism class. For some assignment, or maybe on general principles, I picked up copies of The Nation, The New Republic, and National Review to compare their takes on current events. NR gave me a sense that there was a coherent conservative perspective worthy of attention.
One of Buckley’s favorite guests on Firing Line was Allard Lowenstein, a civil rights and anti-Vietnam war activist who was intelligent, witty and could joust on par with Buckley. I wonder have any of his shows been saved?
Just google firing line, name for specific guests. Here is an hour with Lowenstein.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=65qp5TTXkDM
Thanks so much, Phillip. I should have figured it out myself, but now others reading this can learn or be reminded of how special ALK was. This loving retrospective of Al’s appearances on Firing Line, assembled by Buckley himself, is such a special treat, not just because it reminds us of how unique was his blend of intelligence, wit and heart, but because the civilized and elevated debate it illustrates seems so distant from anything we could hope to hear today in our polarized and dumbed down world.
Buckley accused of being CIA controlled agent.
Superb!