In his own right

William F. Buckley Jr., as anybody who has seen the great Buckley impressions by Joe Flaherty or Robin Williams can attest, was hardly inimitable. But the contributions of the National Review founder and long-serving icon of conservatism extended far beyond his personal style and charisma. Buckley, who died Wednesday at 82, was a major figure in shaping not only contemporary conservatism but the contemporary United States -- though in neither case would he have fully countenanced the results of his labors.

February 28, 2008