William F. Buckley, Jr. died this morning in his Connecticut home. He was 82. I mentioned this to the guys at work. They say, "Who?" If a NASCAR driver were to get fined, they'd be all over it, but the death of one of the great conservative thinkers of our time? Whodat?
Buckley was terrific. I always enjoyed hearing him speak. It sounded like he was speaking the gospel truth, even when he wasn't. Often he would embellish his subject matter with a series of $15 words. It's hard to argue with someone who you can't fully understand. He was seldom abrasive. He didn't need to be, as he was usually the smartest and most articulate person in the room. He had a sense of humor, too. You can hear him speak by clicking here.
He's famous for starting the National Review, a bi-weekly conservative magazine. He was wealthy from birth, having been born into an oil-rich family.
