A reader:
Mr. Derbyshre—Is there anything in Ron Paul’s platform that the young WFB would have disagreed with?
[Me] Was young WFB a gold bug? I don’t know. In any case, it was anti-communism that energized and united the conservatives of the 1950s-60s (to the degree that they were united). As you will gather from the nostalgic moaning at any gathering of today’s conservative’s, anti-communism isn’t a factor any more, and that jiggles the whole kaleidoscope.
Still, I think a good crisp answer to my reader’s question would be: Not much.
Buckley would never had gone out of his comfort zone to endorse Ron Paul despite seeing eye to eye with him on most substantive issues. Buckley axiom of supporting the most conservative candidate who has the best chance of winning was his rule. He was a movement conservative first and foremost alng with the rest of the crowd.
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