S6:E22 William F. Buckley Jr. and National Review

S6:E22 William F. Buckley Jr. and National Review

by | Mar 4, 2025 | Episodes

Robert Taft couldn’t get elected.

Senator Robert Taft couldn’t get the nomination. He tried to be the GOP’s nominee for president three different times but could not get elected. Conservative Republicans’ failure to get nominated by their own party was a source of much frustration. What could they do? Concerns of conspiracy spread through people like Phyllis Schlafly whose book A Choice Not an Echo claimed that “elites” were steering the party.

William F. Buckley Jr. and God and Man at Yale

It was in this world that a bright young man with an untraceable accent found his appeal. William F. Buckley Jr. was born into a wealthy family that was deeply Catholic and driven by concern over the New Deal. They were libertarians and wanted a small government. Buckley lived a childhood of privilege, riding horses, playing piano, and mostly private education. His first book, God and Man at Yale, was a sharp critique of his alma mater, stating that they should have done a better job promoting laissez-faire economics and religion. The book was a smash hit, in part, because Yale fought its charges in the press.

William F. Buckley Jr. gives conservatives an intellectual voice

Buckley followed it with a rousing defense of Senator Joseph McCarthy’s tactics in the early 1950s, but the book was published just as the senator was revealed to be the demagogue he was. So Buckley decided to shift his effort to creating a journal of opinion that would appeal to conservatives. National Review became the “it” publication for conservatism in the US, and the most successful journal of opinion in the country. Its greatest impact was giving conservatism an intellectual voice in an era when the “liberal consensus” dominated.

Buckley then went on to start in the PBS television show Firing Line, a funny thing for a libertarian because the show was sponsored, in part, through government funding. Buckley succeeded in giving conservatism an intellectual voice. In the process, he won his greatest victory: convincing Ronald Reagan to become a conservative.

Videos of Buckley

I don’t usually spend a lot of time posting videos like this as proof of an episode, but Buckley is so beloved in some circles that I think it is necessary for this one. The first video is Buckley’s debate with James Baldwin. If you don’t believe that Buckley carried a string of racism, this video should be proof enough. Listen to his response to Baldwin.

The second video I want to share is his interview with the Gablers. One of the things we in the media struggle with is platforming. Who has the right to be boosted by your show? I struggle with this on Truce because I can’t properly screen everyone I have on the program, and I’m just one person. Should Buckley have invited the Gablers on his show?

Sources

  • Buckley: William F Buckley Jr. and the Rise of American Conservatism by Cart T. Bogus.
  • The Rise and Fall of Modern American Conservatism by David Farber
  • Burning Down the House by Andrew Koppelman
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYgv7ur8ipg&t=3018s Firing Line Episode 113, September 3 1968
  • Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus by Rick Perlstein
  • God and Man at Yale by William F. Buckley Jr
  • Heather Cox Richardson’s YouTube series on the history of the GOP
  • National Review. 1st edition, November 19, 1955. Page 6 (gives a helpful breakdown of what the magazine stands for)
  • Hoover Institution article on the impact of Buckley and Firing Line
  • Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
  • The Incomparable Mr. Buckley documentary

Discussion Questions

  • Do you have any personal connection with Buckley? Did you see his shows or read his writings?
  • Why did conservatism need an intellectual voice?
  • How did conservatism change between Bob Taft and Buckley?
  • Buckley believed in a limited government, one that incorporated Christianity. Would you like his version of the American government?
  • Buckley claimed that he wasn’t racist, but believed that black people were incapable of governing themselves. They should have earned the right to vote in the South. Is this racism?
  • National Review welcomed segregationists to write in the journal. Would you read a publication like this?
  • Buckley advocated for a smaller government but also stared in a TV show on public television. Does this strike you as hypocrisy?
S5:E38 Joseph McCarthy and Roy Cohn

S5:E38 Joseph McCarthy and Roy Cohn

by | Sep 12, 2023 | Episodes

Give to help Chris make Truce!

Joseph McCarthy’s Search for Communists in the American Government

Joseph McCarthy was an unexceptional junior congressman from Wisconsin. He grew up brawling in the streets, playing cards, and embellishing his stories. Then, during a Lincoln Day address in 1950, Joseph McCarthy told an audience that he had a list of 205 communists working in the government. Within days, he was a household name.

McCarthy started “investigating” suspected communists in the American government, focusing on the US State Department. Along the way, he brought in a young lawyer named Roy Cohn. Cohn was already known for his work sending Julius and Ethel Rosenberg to the electric chair. Now, he and McCarthy bullied and cajoled during private hearings. Being labeled a communist, or even a suspected communist could ruin a person’s career. People committed suicide rather than face their scrutiny.

Roy Cohn was Donald Trump’s Mentor

Their reign lasted four years, ending in the televised broadcasts of the Army-McCarthy hearings in which a lawyer asked if McCarthy had any decency. That was pretty much it for McCarthy. But Roy Cohn went on to have a well-connected career, providing legal services for the mob and Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox News. He also became a mentor to a young real estate mogul named Donald Trump. Famous people like Andy Warhol attended his birthday party at Studio 54. Cohn died of AIDS, something that was killing gay men rapidly in the 1980s, though he denied he ever had it.

This is the story of two men allowed to prey on the fears of the American people for their own gain. One fell hard, the other found himself fighting against his own people.

Larry Tye, author of “Demagogue”

In this episode, Chris interviews Larry Tye, author of the book “Demagogue”. He’s also the author of “Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend” and “Bobby Kennedy: The Making of a Liberal Icon”.

Sources:

  • “Demagogue” by Larry Tye
  • Helpful article about the Rosenbergs
  • Article about Klaus Fuchs
  • McCarthy’s speech in Wheeling, WV
  • New York Times, February 23, 1954. Pages 16-17 “Transcript of General Zwicker’s Testimony Before the McCarthy Senate Subcommittee”
  • Video from Army-McCarthy hearings (forward to the last 20 minutes if you want to jump to the stuff I used)
  • The guest list for Roy Cohn’s birthday at Studio 54

Discussion Questions:

  • Why do we love demagogues?
  • Who are other demagogues in American history?
  • The threat of communists in the government in the 1950s is sometimes downplayed. Do you think it was a real concern?
  • McCarthy ran for Congress in an illegal way while still in the Marines. How do you feel about that?
  • Roy Cohn sometimes went against his own people, claiming that gay people did not deserve equal rights. What might have been his motivation?
  • Do you see any crossover between McCarthy, Cohn, and Donald Trump?
  • Cohn died of AIDs in the 1980s when the disease was at its peak. Why might he have wanted to keep his illness a secret?