History National Review

1 history

1.1 background
1.2 years
1.3 contributors
1.4 mission conservatives
1.5 defining boundaries of conservatism
1.6 after goldwater

history
background

before national review s founding in 1955, american right largely unorganized collection of people shared intertwining philosophies had little opportunity united public voice. wanted marginalize saw antiwar, noninterventionistic views of old right.

in 1953 moderate republican dwight d. eisenhower president, , many major magazines such saturday evening post, time, , reader s digest conservative , anticommunist, many newspapers including chicago tribune , st. louis globe-democrat. few small-circulation conservative magazines, such human events , freeman, preceded national review in developing cold war conservatism in 1950s.

early years

in 1953, russell kirk published conservative mind, sought trace intellectual bloodline edmund burke old right in 1950s. challenged popular notion no coherent conservative tradition existed in united states.

william f. buckley jr., founder of national review (pictured in 1985)

a young william f. buckley jr. influenced kirk s concepts. buckley, wealthy oil family, first tried purchase human events, turned down. met willi schlamm, experienced editor of freeman; spend next 2 years raising $300,000 necessary start own weekly magazine, called national weekly. (a magazine holding trademark name prompted change national review.) statement of intentions read:

middle-of-the-road, qua middle of road, politically, intellectually, , morally repugnant. shall recommend policies simple reason consider them right (rather “non-controversial”); , consider them right because based on principles deem right (rather on popularity polls)... new deal revolution, instance, hardly have happened save cumulative impact of nation , new republic, , few other publications, on several american college generations during twenties , thirties.

contributors

on november 19, 1955, buckley’s magazine began take shape. buckley assembled eclectic group of writers: traditionalists, catholic intellectuals, libertarians , ex-communists. group included: russell kirk, james burnham, frank meyer, , willmoore kendall, catholics l. brent bozell, harry v. jaffa , garry wills. former time editor whittaker chambers, had been communist spy in 1930s, became senior editor. in magazine’s founding statement buckley wrote:

let’s face it: unlike vienna, seems altogether possible did national review not exist, no 1 have invented it. launching of conservative weekly journal of opinion in country assumed bastion of conservatism @ first glance looks work of supererogation, rather publishing royalist weekly within walls of buckingham palace. not of course; if national review superfluous, different reasons: stands athwart history, yelling stop, @ time when no other inclined so, or have patience urge it.

as editors , contributors, buckley sought out intellectuals ex-communists or had once worked on far left, including whittaker chambers, william schlamm, john dos passos, frank meyer , james burnham. when james burnham became 1 of original senior editors, urged adoption of more pragmatic editorial position extend influence of magazine toward political center. smant (1991) finds burnham overcame heated opposition other members of editorial board (including meyer, schlamm, william rickenbacker, , magazine s publisher william a. rusher), , had significant effect on both editorial policy of magazine , on thinking of buckley himself.

mission conservatives

national review aimed make conservative ideas respectable, in age when dominant view of conservative thought expressed lionel trilling in 1950:

in united states @ time liberalism not dominant sole intellectual tradition. plain fact nowadays there no conservative or reactionary ideas in general circulation... conservative impulse , reactionary impulse not... express in ideas only... in irritable mental gestures seek resemble ideas.

william buckley, jr., on purpose of national review:

[national review] stands athwart history, yelling stop, @ time when no 1 inclined so, or have patience urge it… out of place because, in maturity, literate america rejected conservatism in favor of radical social experimentation…since ideas rule world, ideologues, having won on intellectual class, walked in , started to…run everything. there never age of conformity quite one, or camaraderie quite liberals’.

national review promoted barry goldwater heavily during 1960s. buckley , others involved magazine took major role in draft goldwater movement in 1960 , 1964 presidential campaign. national review spread vision of conservatism throughout country.

the national review faced occasional defections both left , right. garry wills broke n.r. , became liberal commentator. buckley’s brother-in-law, l. brent bozell jr., ghostwrote conscience of conservative barry goldwater, left , started short-lived traditionalist catholic magazine, triumph in 1966.

defining boundaries of conservatism

buckley , meyer promoted idea of enlarging boundaries of conservatism through fusionism, whereby different schools of conservatives, including libertarians, work combat seen common opponents.

buckley , editors used magazine define boundaries of conservatism—and exclude people or ideas or groups considered unworthy of conservative title. therefore, attacked john birch society, george wallace, , anti-semites.

buckley s goal increase respectability of conservative movement; rich lowry noted: mr. buckley s first great achievement purge american right of kooks. marginalized anti-semites, john birchers, nativists , sort.

in 1957, national review editorialized in favor of white leadership in south, arguing central question emerges... whether white community in south entitled take such measures necessary prevail, politically , culturally, in areas not predominate numerically? sobering answer yes – white community entitled because, time being, advanced race. 1970s national review advocated colorblind policies , end of affirmative action.

in late 1960s, magazine denounced segregationist george wallace, ran in democratic primaries in 1964 , 1972 , made independent run president in 1968. during 1950s, buckley had worked remove anti-semitism conservative movement , barred holders of views working national review. in 1962 buckley denounced robert w. welch, jr. , john birch society far removed common sense , urged g.o.p. purge of welch s influence.

after goldwater

after goldwater defeated lyndon johnson in 1964, buckley , national review continued champion idea of conservative movement, increasingly embodied in ronald reagan. reagan, longtime subscriber national review, first became politically prominent during goldwater s campaign. national review supported challenge president gerald ford in 1976 , successful 1980 campaign.

during 1980s n.r. called tax cuts, supply-side economics, strategic defense initiative, , support president reagan s foreign policy against soviet union. magazine criticized welfare state , support welfare reform proposals of 1990s. magazine regularly criticized president bill clinton. first embraced, rejected, pat buchanan in political campaigns. lengthy 1996 national review editorial called movement toward drug legalization.

in 1985, national review , buckley represented attorney j. daniel mahoney during magazine s $16 million libel suit against spotlight.