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Sorry, Dad, I'm Voting for Obama
The son of William F. Buckley has decided—shock!—to vote for a Democrat.
Let me be the latest conservative/libertarian/whatever to leap onto the Barack Obama bandwagon. It’s a good thing my dear old mum and pup are no longer alive. They’d cut off my allowance.
Or would they? But let’s get that part out of the way. The only reason my vote would be of any interest to anyone is that my last name happens to be Buckley—a name I inherited. So in the event anyone notices or cares, the headline will be: “William F. Buckley’s Son Says He Is Pro-Obama.” I know, I know: It lacks the throw-weight of “Ron Reagan Jr. to Address Democratic Convention,” but it’ll have to do.
Dear Pup once said to me, “You know, I’ve spent my entire life time separating the Right from the kooks.”
I am—drum roll, please, cue trumpets—making this announcement in the cyberpages of The Daily Beast (what joy to be writing for a publication so named!) rather than in the pages of National Review, where I write the back-page column. For a reason: My colleague, the superb and very dishy Kathleen Parker, recently wrote in National Review Online a column stating what John Cleese as Basil Fawlty would call “the bleeding obvious”: namely, that Sarah Palin is an embarrassment, and a dangerous one at that. She’s not exactly alone. New York Times columnist David Brooks, who began his career at NR, just called Governor Palin “a cancer on the Republican Party.”
As for Kathleen, she has to date received 12,000 (quite literally) foam-at-the-mouth hate-emails. One correspondent, if that’s quite the right word, suggested that Kathleen’s mother should have aborted her and tossed the fetus into a Dumpster. There’s Socratic dialogue for you. Dear Pup once said to me sighfully after a right-winger who fancied himself a WFB protégé had said something transcendently and provocatively cretinous, “You know, I’ve spent my entire life time separating the Right from the kooks.” Well, the dear man did his best. At any rate, I don’t have the kidney at the moment for 12,000 emails saying how good it is he’s no longer alive to see his Judas of a son endorse for the presidency a covert Muslim who pals around with the Weather Underground. So, you’re reading it here first.
As to the particulars, assuming anyone gives a fig, here goes:
I have known John McCain personally since 1982. I wrote a well-received speech for him. Earlier this year, I wrote in The New York Times—I’m beginning to sound like Paul Krugman, who cannot begin a column without saying, “As I warned the world in my last column...”—a highly favorable Op-Ed about McCain, taking Rush Limbaugh and the others in the Right Wing Sanhedrin to task for going after McCain for being insufficiently conservative. I don’t—still—doubt that McCain’s instincts remain fundamentally conservative. But the problem is otherwise.
McCain rose to power on his personality and biography. He was authentic. He spoke truth to power. He told the media they were “jerks” (a sure sign of authenticity, to say nothing of good taste; we are jerks). He was real. He was unconventional. He embraced former anti-war leaders. He brought resolution to the awful missing-POW business. He brought about normalization with Vietnam—his former torturers! Yes, he erred in accepting plane rides and vacations from Charles Keating, but then, having been cleared on technicalities, groveled in apology before the nation. He told me across a lunch table, “The Keating business was much worse than my five and a half years in Hanoi, because I at least walked away from that with my honor.” Your heart went out to the guy. I thought at the time, God, this guy should be president someday.
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Going Rogue: The Index
Christopher Buckley's books include Supreme Courtship, The White House Mess, Thank You for Smoking, Little Green Men, and Florence of Arabia. He was chief speechwriter for Vice President George H.W. Bush, and is editor-at-large of ForbesLife magazine. His new book is Losing Mum and Pup, a memoir. Buckley's Daily Beast column is the winner of an Online Journalism Award in the category of Online Commentary.
Lessons from Another War
Christopher Buckley's books include Supreme Courtship, The White House Mess, Thank You for Smoking, Little Green Men, and Florence of Arabia. He was chief speechwriter for Vice President George H.W. Bush, and is editor-at-large of ForbesLife magazine. His new book is Losing Mum and Pup, a memoir. Buckley's Daily Beast column is the winner of an Online Journalism Award in the category of Online Commentary.
It's Time for Us to Go
Christopher Buckley's books include Supreme Courtship, The White House Mess, Thank You for Smoking, Little Green Men, and Florence of Arabia. He was chief speechwriter for Vice President George H.W. Bush, and is editor-at-large of ForbesLife magazine. His new book is Losing Mum and Pup, a memoir. Buckley's Daily Beast column is the winner of an Online Journalism Award in the category of Online Commentary.
"He is, it seems clear enough, what the historical moment seems to be calling for."
Very true. Excellent article, it is lovely to see conservatives coming out of the woodwork to prove to the world that they still have some intellectual currency left, and that the intelligent men and women who usually vote GOP can see plainly that John McCain has lost himself in his quest for the Presidency.
Thank you for an eloquent explanation of a choice that makes more and more sense. It's a relief to read a sensible assessment of the candidates from someone who pays attention and who has stature in the conservative community. If only John McCain would pay attention to the thinking right, not the rabid right,in his party and then spend his remaining weeks recapturing some equilibrium and dignity. Somebody needs to tell him, a la Jon Stewart, "Stop. You're hurting America."
Good morning Chris. I just posted a favorable review of Supreme Courtship on the Borders web site (it's a great book, deserved support). My take is that if we are loyal to one or the other candidate we should vote for the other guy because given the state of the nation we shouldn't want to have our guy win. Being the next President is a punishment we should not want for our candidate (I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy, that sort of thing). Your Dad would be proud of you regardless of any of this and your Uncle Reid (who lives about an hour from where I do and is a wonderful man who also wrote a great boook this year) isn't yet in print denouncing you, yet. I've got a bunch of McCain bumper stickers in my pick up truck and have been doing a letter scramble to try to make a better statement, INANE works but there seems to be no E. Except for Cornell, Yale's football record has been okay this year so all hope is not yet lost, yet.
hoorah....
What a sweetie-pie, though too kind to McCain by half (but very clearheaded about Obama). Welcome home.
I'll put this in the "best news I've had all week" column. Sadly enough, it's true. Good for you, Buckley.
Bravo! Given the climate you have done something tremendoulsy brave.
Your father would be very proud.
Thank you for being truthful. What a wonderful read!
"Not a few men who cherish lofty and noble ideas hide them under a bushel for fear of being called different."
Martin Luther King, Jr
Bravo Chris....for your decision to go against the grain of your conservative nature...You are indeed a Maverick!
I am glad you mentioned Obama's intelligence. I would much rather have for President one who went to university on scholarships and broke through a glass ceiling to become President of The Harvard Law Review over one who got into Annapolis because of his family name and ended up 5th from the BOTTOM of his class and then wrecked approximately 20 airplanes. In these complex, critical times we need not only a leader with good temperament, but also the acumen to deal with complex, sensitive and critical global issues.
Bertie
Truly I enjoyed reading your article. There is too much wrong in this world to not go back. I am indeed searching for change. This election is about our children and grand-children future. I am scared too death! I loss $12,000 in my IRA. Wake up America, or WE will create our own demise. Obama 08
buckley's voting for a guy in the hope that he will not do what he promised he will do?
i.e. raise taxes and tariffs etc?
the acorn has fallen far from the tree indeed.
Mister Buckley,
You say of Barack Obama that..."President Obama will (I pray, secularly) surely understand that traditional left-politics aren't going to get us out of this pit we've dug for ourselves," and yet all evidence available suggests exactly to the contary. His rhetoric, his historic and current choices in friends and advisors, and his oh so brief experience on the both the state and national stage suggest that your secular prayers had best be turned to the Almighty where they may do some good.
Your father would not be disappointed by your choice. I suspect however he would upbraid your fawlty logic.
Just to let you know, I hit the Flagit by mistake. I totally agree with your comments.
Very well stated. I, too, had admired McCain but Palin was the beginning of a rapidly arrived-at end.
Well this is good news, I can now leave Mr. Buckley's novel in plain sight.
Thank you.
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