Christopher Buckley Shown the Door at National ReviewShare / Recommend - Comment - Print - Tuesday, Oct 14 2008, 12:37PM
The late William F. Buckley's son, the talented writer and thinker -- Christopher Buckley -- surprised many with his brave decision to endorse Barack Obama recently. His announcement created a storm among National Review editors. According to reports, he offered to resign. And it took a nanosecond for the magazine to accept that resignation. Some will think that this is good. I don't. It's not wise to have such rigid ideological lines in publications that fair-minded thinking can't be supported, debated, and embraced in process if not in substance. Bill Buckley opposed George W. Bush's war in Iraq. He was an independent thinker who also would have difficulties with the Republican party that has been recently sculpted. The father would not have accepted the resignation of the son -- and instead might have debated him in a set of catchy columns. National Review just made itself less relevant to the future of the nation. -- Steve Clemons
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