newcritics - Latest Comments in William Buckley: A Television Persona Passes

Re: William Buckley: A Television Persona Passes

andresas — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:23:19 -0000

Hello, for a long time I read your blog, thanks for that that write interesting and
useful posts.I consider that blogers it is possible to name many journalists.

Good luck

Re: William Buckley: A Television Persona Passes

Dan Leo — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 05:14:01 -0000

Steve: and thank you for the boxing metaphor; I wanted to use one but couldn't think of the appropriate bout. It's the case of the good boxer, the man who has the skill, who can just jab, jab, hook, jab, and then right-cross the other guy, the other guy who looks good and who has the flashy moves but who doesn't have the heart and is finally gonna hit the canvas and stay on the canvas if he knows what's good for him.

Re: William Buckley: A Television Persona Passes

snesich — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 01:20:00 -0000

According to my friends, I did a great Buckley imitation back in my college days. I don't think that any of us should forget Buckley's strong backing of Joe McCarthy in the 50's, his opposition to civil rights and voting rights legislation in the 60's, using essentially the same tired excuse that some bigots used, and his elitist, ruling class attitude regarding roughly 97% of Americans. Dan, thanks for that YouTube link. I also agree that Chomsky handles Buckley here in the same way that Ali handled Chuck Wepner back in '76.

Re: William Buckley: A Television Persona Passes

Dan Leo — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:46:44 -0000

As Dennis Perrin pointed out in his blog, Chomsky methodically takes Buckley apart here.

One of Buckley's debating methods was to roll over the opponent with long, slow, meliifluous but somniferous and not necessarily well-thought-out periods. In this case the method failed.

But as I've said ad nauseam (Latin phrase inserted as tribute to WFB) I too miss those days when you could turn on even Merv Griffin or Mike Douglas and see the likes of Norman Mailer, Capote, Tennessee Williams, Gore Vidal.

Here's a clip of Buckley and Vidal back-to-back (not the famous crypto-Nazi one):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXLTDUPJqsU

Gore's the last lion standing.

Re: William Buckley: A Television Persona Passes

tina oticica — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 02:38:18 -0000

I wasn't aware of his past baggage, btu I strongly disliked hsi hoity-toity stance on education, for example. I Iwill have to come back here to watch the priceless video. Thanks for a great post. And video.

Re: William Buckley: A Television Persona Passes

oakling — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:44:57 -0000

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! Hooray, Jane Hamsher!