"When a man is in his thirties, the idea of serving in somebody else's presidential administration can be exciting; in one's fifties, it merely...
Stoic Response to History
"to resist the inevitable as stoutly as one can … it may not be inevitable after all—my notion of the future may be mistaken. In the second place,...
Political Conversation vs. Reality
"The talk of politicians when they let their hair down bears very little resemblance to dinner-table chatter in a well-run vicarage, and Mr. Nixon,...
From Stubbornness to Religiosity
"There are certain qualities inherent in the man—in a way, almost the most appealing things about him, since they are the most authentic—which make...
Nixon’s Betrayal of Conservatives
"There is no sadder chapter in the whole history of American conservatism than that which describes how Richard Nixon, in whom the majority of...
Reflections on Nixon
"Richard Nixon will break your heart." Source: If Not Us, Who? William Rusher, National Review, and the Conservative Movement Keywords:...
Conservative in San Francisco
"San Francisco has a dreadful reputation among conservatives, and New Yorkers are forever raising the subject … I just dismiss it. I'm not in the...
Nixon’s Two-Sidedness
"The discussion lasted an astonishing three hours and ended … only because both Buckley and I had other appointments. I remember being particularly...
Goldwater’s Political Flexibility
"Occasionally … Goldwater shoots from the hip; it is at least possible that he hated himself the morning after that interview. But it is more...
Reagan’s Sensitivity
"No doubt he ought to have been made of sterner stuff. But there is simply no denying that President Reagan is extremely sensitive to the human...
Reagan as Fighter
"Like a skillful club boxer, Reagan moved into the attack, landed his punches, backed off, shifted his weight, parried, and attacked again. I came...
Politicians’ Insincerity
"Most politicians … are pretty adept at sensing when to stop riding an issue … When it stops paying dividends, when on straight pleasure-pain...