The American Mind

William F. Buckley’s wife Pat passed away this weekend. She was 80. While her husband wrote books and newspaper columns, gave speeches, hosted a television show, and influenced the influential on the issues of the day Pat Buckley took the social route:

Mrs. Buckley became a leading member of New York society and was active in many charities and civic causes. She raised money for a number of hospitals, including St. Vincent’s. She served on numerous boards and was an honorary director of the Metropolitan Museum of Arts. For many years, she chaired the annual dinner of the museum’s Costume Institute.

…

Over the years, Mrs. Buckley acted a kind of den mother to the modern conservative movement, giving dinners to the editors of her husband’s magazine, National Review every other Monday, starting in the mid-1960s. At her husband’s 80th-birthday celebration in 2005 at the Pierre Hotel in New York, her son Christopher noted in a toast that “No one ever left my mother’s house less than well and truly stuffed.”

My sympathies go to the Pat Buckley’s family and friends.

Sadly the conservative movement will soon be at the moment when its scion, its champion will soon pass from us. Bill Buckley won’t live forever. In the last few year his ending Firing Line and ceasing his relentless public speaking schedule have told me Buckley’s days are about gone. The lost of a spouse can sometimes push the surviving widower to lose the will to live. I hope that doesn’t happen to WFB.

Even after he stopped editing National Review Buckley’s giant shoes have yet to be filled. Across the conservative spectrum Buckley is seen as a powerful intellect, a gracious debater, and a builder of a political movement. With some exceptions conservatives look at Buckley with awe and appreciation. There isn’t a conservative intellectual out there today who garners similar respect. Bill Kristol almost reached that elevated place when his Weekly Standard arrived beautifully in time with Newt Gingrich’s Republican Revolution. But his love affair with “National Greatness” conservatism and Sen. John McCain along with the faltering Iraq War has hurt him. What is a true disappointment is the most famous conservative writer is Ann Coulter. The Age of Ann is quite the disappointment compared to the Age of Buckley.

This situation does mean there’s an opening for a conservative mind to guide and (gently) steer the giant ship that is the conservative movement. It will take someone with smarts, tremendous confidence, and the friendly disposition to disagree without being disagreeable.

“Patricia Taylor Buckley, R.I.P.”

“Patricia Taylor Buckley, RIP”

“Prayers For WFB And The Anchoress”

“RIP, Patricia Buckley“