Buckley RIP

William F. Buckley --- the world's most eloquent and erudite defender of conservatism -- has passed away.

And he defended conservatism when it needed it most -- back in the dark days of the 1960s and 70s, when liberalism reigned supreme.

When I was a university student, Buckley's magazine, The National Review, was about the only source of conservative opinion available.

I don't know how I would have survived academia without it.

And his TV show, Firing Line, was the one program in those days where conservatives seemed to always triumph. (I was biased, of course, but to my mind Buckley always made mincemeat out of the hapless left wingers who dared to venture onto his show.)

Also with his linguistic skills and encylopedic knowledge, Buckley was just plain fun to watch, even if you didn't agree with him.

Finally, unlike so many commenators of today, Buckley chose to debate with facts and logic, not with ad hominen attacks.

He will be missed.