From a reader:

Subject: Ayn Ran
Mr. Goldberg,
Don’t you love subject lines like that? They must make you wish for hemorrhoids… Anyway, I was wondering, as a fan of both National Review and Ms. Rand AND having a personal letter from Mr. Buckley on the subject (cue Heavenly organ music), has there ever been a time National Review has OFFICIALLY said anything GOOD about Ayn Rand? Maybe, has it in the “To the gas chambers…” hysteria, found ANY redeeming qualities in anything she wrote? Maybe the Francisco Money Speech – maybe? Just wondering….

The answer is yes and no. If you go through the archives (don’t try, only I have the magic dehydrated monkey paw that unlocks the door), you’ll find a lot about Rand. Not all of it is negative. Terry Teachout wrote two pieces about her one in 1982 another 25 years later, both of which are sentimental about her influence on him when he was 16. Florence King, in her unique way, seems to have had a soft spot for Rand over the years, as did Joe Sobran. William F. Buckley was decidedly opposed to Objectivism and aware that Rand’s anger at him was deep and personal, but he nonetheless talked honestly, even admiringly, about her success, despite being firmly in the Chambers camp. M. Stanton Evans did a big piece on her role on college campuses in 1967. Here’s the description of the article from the magazine: “Ayn Rand is big on campus, a cult. Stanton Evan explains why, analyzes her position, concludes she is right and wrong, but more wrong than right.”

I think that sums up the long-running NR view of Rand.