David E. Davis, Jr. On The Passing Of William F. Buckley
We used to see William F. Buckley with some regularity during my second tour of duty at Car and Driver. He had a Manhattan office somewhere around Third Avenue and Thirty-Fourth Street and often ate lunch in a little counter joint nearby.
I introduced myself to him at a Magazine Publishers Association dinner in Detroit, and we had a fifteen-minute conversation about peanut butter. That night he told the best political joke I ever heard, to wit: “Lyndon Johnson was absolutely on top of the world following his 1964 landslide victory. He vowed that he would attend every one of the several Inaugural Balls being thrown by the Democratic faithful."
“On the appointed night he set out with Ladybird, but she was exhausted after one party and went home to bed. Somewhere along the line that evening he met Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor and invited them to join him for a drink in the Oval Office. A Filipino mess attendant appeared as if by magic and took their drink orders, and when the drinks arrived Lyndon sat in his big chair on one side of the presidential desk and Burton and Taylor sat on the other. Lyndon raised a glass of Bourbon that looked like a Pyrex malted milk can and said, ‘You know, among the three of us, I reckon that we have screwed about every citizen in this great republic!’
Comments
Jeb
Who's Richard Burton?
Just kidding. ;)
I know WFB was a boating aficionado (well, expert, really...one doesn't sail across the Atlantic without some mean skills), but I don't remember ever hearing which way his motoring tastes ran. I've always envisioned him in an E-type.
Cicero
William F. Buckley, the pied piper of the Establishment and the paragon of the Neo-conservative movement
D moran
Thats not a joke
CARSON44
It may not be a joke, but it does represent the tasteless demeanor of LBJ. Where do we come up with these people?
As for WFB's taste in autos, I've read many of his writings and I don't remember any talk of cars. For readers, myself included, of publications like this and others, it is hard to believe but some people are simply not interested.
WFB wrote not long ago, perhaps a year, two at most, that he doubted very much that he would see another election. At the time I thought he was being somewhat pessimistic, but like most of his predictions, he was correct. One would hope that we would all be this realistic.
Ducati Minor
D moron,
It is to people who have a minimum of a high school education.
I have always hated the terms "neo-conservative" and "ultra-liberal." They have no proper application. I understand the context; but being conservative is an attitude--like being a traditionalist. One can be a neo-Nazi or a neo-Federalist, but not a neo-conservative. I blame it on the falling IQs among the press corps.
William F. Buckley was a brilliant man, even if you didn't agree with his politics. He laid out intelligent arguments in a well-mannered way. It is cliché to complain about DC and the behavior that goes on there, but there been a decline in the quality of debate. It's a shame Buckley's character didn't spread farther.
Cicero
There is neo-conservatives Ducati, the alternative is being a paleoconservative like Pat Buchanan
Cicero
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleoconservatism
hwyhobo
I cringe when I hear someone call WF Buckley a neo-con. In my opinion, that's an insult to him. He was far too libertarian in his views to be a neo-con.
Also, I agree with DucatiMinor. Both terms (neo- and paleo-) are purely derisive in nature and not proper qualifiers for a conservative, so please, Cicero, stop quoting wikipedia as though it was a fountain of all wisdom.
Cicero
Maybe you should take a course in political history and get a degree in it like I did, then you can talk to me about politics
Cicero
There is a massive difference between neo and paleo conservatives, neo-conservatives are interventionists and big government and their roots are derived from the Old Left, while paleoconservatives trace their roots to classical liberalism of small government whose power is codified and limited by a constitution
D moran
D minor
The irony was lost but the joke is still on you.
Its not a joke because a: its not funny, and b: it is true
So it is an ironic statement of fact, not a joke as it was described.
Throopspeed
Like all good jokes its funny because it's true...
hwyhobo
There is a massive difference between neo and paleo conservatives, neo-conservatives are interventionists and big government and their roots are derived from the Old Left, while paleoconservatives trace their roots to classical liberalism of small government whose power is codified and limited by a constitution
I am aware of connotations, as I consider myself somewhere between the latter group and the classical libertarians. However, despite some articles in National Review, I still see WFB's libertarian leanings as a reasonable counterweight to neo-con tendencies. You may also check the article in wikipedia (which you like) on WFB, where some of his views on Bush, Iraqi war, and other aspects of interventionism are mentioned. That does not sound like a sworn neo-con.
BTW, I am not here to pick up a fight about politics. I simply feel that we should maintain enough decorum to show respect to WFB on his departure, not come in with guns blasting.
Cicero
Not a fan of the National Review, but that is because I am a member of the John Birch Society
HerrDoktor Dieter Zietsche
Book of Values? Pleeeeze. Buckley was an @sshole, and all this semantic talk is just republican bullshyt. Cicero: you need to take a chill pill. R.I.P.
Cicero
How would I need to take a chill pill if I am calm, you just assume I am not, since I am always calm
JackSprat
Cicero, I beg you to continue this one-man conversation somewhere else.
D moran, likewise. I also would encourage you to cease analyzing humor as you seem to possess none in your character.
WFB and LBJ are simply and utterly fantastic individuals who have stimulated our minds and imaginations for decades. Half the time our reaction may be "How dare he?!" but the other half of the time we're wondering how we might say or do things in our own ways that could even come close to some of the things those two guys said or did.
Neo-paleo-blah-blah-blah.
Ducati Minor
Cicero,
You're plain wrong. Why must we continue a debate everytime. You're employing the political attachment following World War II revival of what we consider the modern conservative ideas: traditional values and limited federal interference in state and municipal affairs.
Nevertheless, it is an incorrect placement in the English language. The proper neo prefix could only work if the Conservative (upper-case "C") word was applied to a party or some form of organization, such as the one in the British Parliament. You would end up with either a Neo-Conservative or Neoconservative. This could only apply to an actual organization.
Glad to see the argument finished. My ego is satisfied.
Ducati Minor
Excuse the grammatical errors making that post of grammar ironic.
JackSprat made a good point.
Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon were, however deceitful, excellent politicians. Johnson's ability to manipulate Congress enabled him to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and create the Great Society. Nixon may have struggled against his opponents on Capitol Hill and in the streets, but his scheming took advantage of the Russo-Chinese divide. His opening of formal relations with Mainland China helped launch the détente period of the 1970s. It also permitted him to distance Russia and China from North Vietnam.
It is a shame that both men's qualities were crushed by their faults. Both were paranoid men whose careless actions stained America. Their failures are still felt to this day.
Post new comment