Firing Line: William F. Buckley and George Wallace, January, 1968
I found this brief clip on Twitter, so I looked for the interview in its entirety.
I do agree with Wallace that Buckley came across as a pseudo-intellectual, with his odd manner, frequent bugging of the eyes, Mid-Atlantic accent and pretentious boarding school lockjaw. Listen to the cheap shot Buckley takes at the state of Alabama at the end of his clip. It's as low a thing as I've heard from the man.
Here's the entire interview. Though I've yet to watch all of it, it's apparent Buckley looks down his nose at Wallace and the South but Wallace is having none of it. January, 1968
October 21, 2026, 06:17 AM
ruger357
What a pompous ass Buckley is. Wallace was a tough old bird.
William F. Buckley, like George Will, was an elitist, blue blood East Coast snob. Sure, he was a huge Reagan supporter, and like Will, he would have loathed Trump if he was alive today.
"I’m not going to read Time Magazine, I’m not going to read Newsweek, I’m not going to read any of these magazines; I mean, because they have too much to lose by printing the truth"- Bob Dylan, 1965
October 21, 2026, 05:51 PM
Pipe Smoker
quote:
and like Will, he would have loathed Trump if he was alive today.
So you say. I don’t know.
I recall that on a TV show Buckley nearly came to blows with Gore Vidal, a leftist pansy.
According to Grok: Vidal called Buckley a “pro- or crypto-Nazi.” Buckley snapped back: “Now listen, you queer. Stop calling me a crypto-Nazi or I’ll sock you in the goddamn face, and you’ll stay plastered.”
And Rush was deeply saddened by Buckley’s passing.
Serious about crackers.
October 21, 2026, 06:17 PM
oddball
quote:
Originally posted by Pipe Smoker: So you say. I don’t know.
Buckley was a conservative who believed "intellectualism" was a key component in his movement. He also despised "isolationism", an intellectual term for nationalism. He thought only the elite should be the driving force in the conservative movement, hence his snooty attitude towards Wallace and Alabama.
I'm convinced Buckley would have been a Republican globalist against Trump. He going against Gore Vidal, so what- Mitt Romney, George Bush, George Will, Paul Ryan, etc all have done similar this repeatedly in their careers.
"I’m not going to read Time Magazine, I’m not going to read Newsweek, I’m not going to read any of these magazines; I mean, because they have too much to lose by printing the truth"- Bob Dylan, 1965
October 21, 2026, 06:53 PM
12131
Conservative, pseudo-intellect or whatever he was, I found his style, mannerism, posture very off-putting. Never sat straight, always leaning to one side, glancing down his nose at his opponent. Damn irritating. I’m surprised he never tipped over leaning that far. And you know who has copied his style to a T? Commie George Steponallofus.
