I last saw Bill Buckley at President Reagan’s memorial service in June 2004 at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. When I saw him come down the aisle, I couldn’t help but stand, grab his hand and reintroduce myself to him and say, “I want to thank you for giving me the motivation to be involved in politics and trying to make a difference.”

Buckley flashed that legendary smile at me and in his baritone voice replied, “And I too would like to thank you for saying this to me.”

I could not understate the importance of Buckley’s role in shaping not only my own beliefs but also helping me to get involved in politics. From the reading of “The Unmaking of a Mayor” (about his quixotic run for mayor of New York in the ’60s) in high school, I have admired his thinking and his approach to politics.

I have hoped that perhaps I could entice Buckley to come to the Dole Institute. Sad to say this is no longer an option.

William F. Buckley was the catalyst for the conservative movement that began in the ’50s and jelled in the ’60s. This movement – which attracted many young people like yours truly to the cause – literally created the intellectual base that led ultimately to the election of Ronald Reagan and the establishment of a national conservative coalition that lasted until 2006.

Buckley’s role was huge. From establishing National Review as the flagship publication for the movement to “Firing Line” as the TV show of the movement (which, somewhat ironically, appeared on PBS) to encouraging young people to take a role through the formation of Young Americans for Freedom, a youth arm of the movement.

Buckley in effect reinvented conservatism in America. It had been dominated by a status quo mentality before him, but he helped forge a coalition of the libertarians who put freedom and personal liberty first with the traditionalists who encouraged order and responsibility. While he may have been the leader, Buckley relied on a whole host of intellectual lieutenants, many of very different views, to give shape and form to the movement.

Buckley had some questionable moments, especially when taken out of the context of the times. But his commitment to liberty was undying and his fight for the movement never ended. And he was quick to take on conservative posers. His doubts and questions about the John Birch Society largely deprived that far right group of its momentum in the ’60s, making way for a rational and responsible conservatism to emerge.

It is also fair to say that Buckley embodied many of the points of emphasis that we make at the Dole Institute. He believed strongly in rational debate and respecting other points of view. He had many liberal friends and, while they argued incessantly about politics, they enjoyed being together and sharing other interests. His TV show usually reflected some philosophical balance. It was as if Buckley, comfortable with his own views, was challenging liberals to come up with better ideas and arguments and giving them an opportunity to make them on his show under the scrutiny of his great intellect and wit.

In today’s political environment, that is difficult to imagine.

William F. Buckley’s philosophical leadership led to a whole generation of conservative thinkers who became the foot soldiers of the Reagan Revolution, who staffed the administration and who now are in positions of leadership all across the country. A number have appeared on programs at the Dole Institute.

American conservatism is at a crossroads. Whether it tilts to a “big government” conservatism or sticks to the Buckley/Reagan hybrid of freedom and responsibility remains to be seen. It is unfortunate that Bill Buckley will not be around to lend his enormous intellect to this argument.