William F. Buckley died on Monday at age 82. Here’s how obituary writers are summing up his life:
“William F. Buckley Jr., the erudite Ivy Leaguer and conservative herald who showered huge and scornful words on liberalism as he observed, abetted and cheered on the right’s post-World War II rise from the fringes to the White House…” –The Associated Press
“William F. Buckley Jr., who marshaled polysyllabic exuberance, famously arched eyebrows and a refined, perspicacious mind to elevate conservatism to the center of American political discourse…” –The New York Times
“If being a conservative always led to a life like William F. Buckley Jr.’s, there would be no more liberals left.” –Time
“William F. Buckley Jr., whose impish smile and rich diction defined American conservatism for half a century…” –The Hartford Courant
“William Buckley Jr., the intellectual founder of the modern conservative movement in the US, who helped define its doctrines of anti-communism, military strength, social order and a capitalist economy…” –The Washington Post
“Any one of William F. Buckley Jr.’s many achievements — in politics, publishing, television, even world-class sailing — might have been enough to merit the attention he received during the past half-century.” –News Tribune News Services