When I say that I am a conservative, I think of my Freshman roommate, Alan Matlack, who was smart, aggressive, thoughtful, passionate, intellectual, curious, and confidant. Not backward-ass country hick conservatism, but William F. Buckley conservatism. You’ll be missed, Mr. Buckley — especially as we’re rigorously and vigorously being taken over by a country full of backward-ass country hick conservatives — morons, and damned proud. Via the New York Times:
Mr. Buckley’s greatest achievement was making conservatism — not just electoral Republicanism, but conservatism as a system of ideas — respectable in liberal postwar America. He mobilized the young enthusiasts who helped nominate Mr. Goldwater in 1964 and saw his dreams fulfilled when Mr. Reagan and the Bushes captured the Oval Office.
