Gore Vidal vs William Buckley Republican Convention 1968 Debate 3 part 1 of 2

Gore Vidal vs William Buckley Republican Convention 1968 Debate 3 part 1 of 2

[@mirusmedia]

I love this! Thanks for posting. I was 12 years old that summer of 1968 and I watched both conventions Democrats and Republicans and loved the pairing of Buckley and Vidal.

[@secretpal4u]

I remember seeing this when it originally aired. It was facinating. So happy it's here for everyone to apppreciate.

[@jereuter01]

Buckley has the art of saying nothing at all in the most spectacular of phraseology down to a science.

[@gorecassady1632]

Buckley in a nutshell

[@MaximusR93]

The type of man who would use 100 words to say something that could be said in 10.

[@nunomartins4265]

buckley was an absolute fraud

[@robertfarrell6479]

Definition of a philosopher

[@dougtaylor2803]

This comment is sadly representative of a contempt for contemplative discourse, which finds favour in an era dominated by devotion to any device beginning with "i".

[@gavinleone]

I find myself disagreeing with just about everything Mr Buckley says, but I'd be more than happy to listen to him talk all day.

[@jeffym8929]

Bravo , my sentiments exactly

[@chadpenner5059]

Amen!!!! Well done Mr.gavin

[@SevenFootPelican]

I like how they can stick it to each other in a classy way that makes people on both sides of the political aisle sort of chuckle and laugh. It's not like that anymore.

[@cthulhuholmes]

Buckley wasn’t as civil as he’s often remembered. Check out his connections to YAF and the John Burch Society.

[@themaltesesailor9774]

@Andrew Caller No - they're just not an open and complete moron. Buckley wasn't civilized or particularly bright - he was a bigot with a good vocabulary. The finest of rubes fell for his excoriating bullshit.

[@roughhabit9085]

You people are half illiterate and you’re bagging Buckley! Smh

[@JaKommenterar]

Civil? You haven’t watched the whole debate, Buckley called Vidal a queer (he was gay or bi) and Vidal called him a crypto Nazi. They ended up suing each other for defamation. Quit your common nostalgia, whatever this was, it was not civil.

[@jamesnoelward9116]

@@cthulhuholmes he expelled the Birchers from the Conservative alliance.

[@nickyzwan2122]

What's funny is that they both have a such a similar speaking style. Trans-atlantic accent.

[@charlesnye1736]

Both were born into privilege and had education made important to them.

[@janedeaux5900]

Buckley was a closet case who was completely miserable and hateful.

[@weezadam]

the moderator continues laughing like a hyena at Buckley's jibes, not really hiding any pretense of impartiality. Buckley immediately goes for the ad hominem attacks and really isn't able to make a solid point and gets fussy when Vidal calls him out on the 'Reagan doesn't like government' mantra. Boy, was that ever true.

[@boxer12350]

Adam Tobin like a hyena? C'mon. You're embarrassing yourself

[@gjsykes7924]

For this first debate Buckley hadn't prepared properly, thinking that Vidal would be a walk over. Little did he know that Vidal had hired a researcher and while Buckley was sunning himself on holiday Vidal was prepping hard for this debate. He was gunning for Buckley.

[@Arareemote]

Wasn't that the Robert Vaughn V Buckley debate? I recall the same being said of that.

[@V12F1Demon]

"He's always to the right but always in the wrong", "The Marie Antoinette of the right" - Vidal is too good!

[@diego67hd94]

Can someone explain the "marie antoinette" one for me? I know she was a French Queen but I suspect I'm missing some part of the insult.

[@V12F1Demon]

@@diego67hd94 She famously said of the starving people of Paris, "Let them eat cake". Hence, the phrase, 'having your cake and eating it' which implies selfishness, apathy to reality etc.

[@diego67hd94]

@@V12F1Demon Ahh I see, thanks for the explanation

[@roughhabit9085]

She was famously against reforms and I think Vidal was alluding that Buckley and his Conservative movement were just that.

[@V12F1Demon]

@@roughhabit9085 Ironically, Antoinette is also very misunderstood. The remark, "let them eat cake" was attributed to her, but, it isn't verifiable. Stefan Zweig wrote an authoritative biography on her which describes her as very forward thinking, enlightened but totally ignored eventually, resign herself to her fate and trying to secure the future of her children. Sorry, couldn't help sharing that!

[@sendnoodles5437]

Buckley was a masterclass in bombast. It's unbelievable how intelligent he appears until you dissect what he's saying

[@joe2125]

naturally you will dissect what hes saying with your own personal biases and considering they oppose what hes saying you will consider him bombast. its protecting your insecurities in your beliefs

[@williambrabston3045]

@@joe2125 i mean... he was on the wrong side of history the whole time, so yeah. he was full of shit.

[@flyy1006]

@@williambrabston3045 he was right Vidal and all leftists were on the wrong side look at society now nobody is happy because of leftism as we have seen by polls, so I mean… nah Buckley was right

[@flyy1006]

Same with Vidal and pretty much all leftists today they seem like they know what they are talking about until they start screaming racist at u and admit they lost 😂😂😂😂😂

[@flyy1006]

@@joe2125anyone they dislike isn’t intelligent but themselves having spent all day in mommy’s basement are really intelligent leftists r just brain dead

[@kenthomas856]

I always picture Bucky wearing a periwig and nodding his head, with that shit-eating grin of his, while Marie Antoinette says, Let them eat cake!. He obviously confuses arrogance with eloquence, and his greatest forte is showing his contempt for humanity.

[@barbarabarber3167]

Actually, that is a fallocy. Marie Antoinette never did say, 'let them eat cake'.

[@frenchprovincial9602]

Buckley is a master at not letting anyone speak. He's slimy and smiles when he's been beaten then talks quickly to cover up. Vidal was the best

[@tamething1]

At what?

[@DougieFresh1414]

Bro was the Ben Shapiro of his time.

[@ferabra8939]

"Mr. Nixon and Mr.Reagan are competent". Buckley's instincts were spot on. Watergate and Irangate.

[@skandababy]

Monicagate, Obamanomics, Obamacare, The Iranian Hostage Crisis, The Vietnam War... yeah kinda makes you look like an ignorant asshole, doesn't it? LBJ ran like a little bitch instead of getting those men out of Vietnam, he actually turned down the nomination for re-election. We can go all day about any president... and most of them are selfish incompetent buffoons... but only a fucking brainless dog-turd would ignore that and just blame it on one party or the other... all the while denying that there was really any difference at all between an elephant and a jackass.

[@jakeshaw6827]

I dont know anything about these two men. I just heard on Joe Rogans podcast,that they had some pretty funny debates. I wish political debates were still like this...

[@santasubsify]

Buckley is a personal paradox for me . I like and dislike him. Vidal is so funny. What a legend

[@bscottb8]

Patricians gone wild.

[@doyoufancyfjjhfjhcf9402]

aristo-cat fight

[@Lyraorganum]

I dont like Buckley, but i like hearing him speak.. what is wrong with me?

[@jewulo]

You admire intellect and erudition.

[@ForeverBennett]

I don't agree with most of his views either but I still like listening to him.

[@weewee2169]

@@jewulo the mans a moron and so are you

[@chadpenner5059]

Absolutely not...I feel the same...he was brilliant and even though I disagree with him 99 percent of the time..you are quite normal :):)

[@johnboy32064]

I totally get it. Feel the same way. That Locust Valley lockjaw was fascinating to me when I was first saw him on PBS in the early 80’s

[@agrand743]

The fact that the discourse hasn't changed in substance but only in form is remarkable. It's a miirror image of what's happening now

[@haveatomato]

4:58 "In every sense!" haha

[@stfudonny2164]

Anybody saw the genie in alladin making a william f. buckley impression?

[@emilianosintarias7337]

If you want to see how weird Buckley is, besides being a New Yorker with that accent, set the speed at 1.5 One phrase would seem to be at 1.0, the next at 1.75, and then back again.

[@roughhabit9085]

Weirdo

[@jeffym8929]

It was while watching Buckley’s mayoral campaign that the democratic Reagan converted to Conservatism . Buckley was practically his boss so of course he was going to prefer Reagan

[@AgowTisro]

I think that is the relationship most, on the Left at least, have with Buckley. He certainly is impossible to ignore and one may have a hard time not finding something to like about him.

[@Lusandro]

I’m sure these 2 are great to go bowling with.

[@garysimard5674]

This is very impartial. 1 vs 1, no interference from the moderator, not 3 to 1 like Donahue (or any talk shows) or CNN, or Fox or NBC, CBS or ABC sadly since this is from ABC.

[@EthanFarang]

The angel and the demon on my shoulders

[@gregghanson6095]

Actually Buckley is correct; Regan didn't act in any of his movies.

[@bscottb8]

You betcha.

[@SoldierUSArmy]

William F. Buckley Jr. believes that there is almost no government spending that is an investment, that there are extravagant luxuries like NASA instead.

[@SoldierUSArmy]

Buckley believes that almost the only good government activity and spending is the Panama Canal as he is for the tax paying public instead.

[@splashpont]

Nixon and Reagan both made significant impact on the history of the nation during their presidencies. Nixon's Visit to China. Reaganomics. What are your thoughts?

[@gorecassady1632]

As both a republican and conservative he sure went out of his way to increase the deficit

[@MattSingh1]

+juan curiel Not mention Iran/Contra(Regan), invasions of Grenada, El Salvador, Panama(Regan), the deliberate creation of a budget deficit as you mention(and proven by David Stockman), anti-Semitism and racism(Nixon), Watergate(Nixon), carrying on the illegal immoral war in Indochina and extending it to the bombing of Cambodia(Nixon) ect etc etc

[@-dash]

Nixon made some progress as far as Cold War detente but his handling of Vietnam seemed lackluster. Reagan projected strength and in that sense his tenure served our interests- particularly as a follow-up act to Carter, it seemed like a rather successful good-cop/bad-cop routine in dealing with the Soviets. However I wasn’t born until ‘95 so I could be way off the mark. Just my two cents.

[@incredibleXMan]

I don't think they liked each other.

[@cookieman38111]

Buckley was a CIA agent for 4or5 years after he got out of college.

[@boxer12350]

cookieman38111 under Howard Hunt I should add.

[@jeffym8929]

Two years actually. He was a powerful bonesman is probably more pertinent to whatever it is you’re trying to say

[@gorecassady1632]

@0:34 LOL

[@fredloos6998]

Is it revealing that in 1968 the choice on the right was Reagan and Nixon. One had absolutely no experience, the other had too much experience. Reagan was a terrible governor, a worse actor and an intellectual lightweight. Nixon was a power mad paranoid man. It is a shame HHH lost, our politics today would be far different had Nixon lost.

[@EdMelendez]

Frank Soos Wrong on all points.

[@jereuter01]

+Frank Soos Right on all points.

[@danofscv7910]

Reagan was handily reelected for governor in a strongly Democrat state and had an even stronger record record as President.

[@jillianthomas9208]

Yes, Reagan was no intellectual, but he had principles that appealed to conservatives and salt of the earth Americans. I think his charismatic leadership made up for his lack of refinement.

[@turquoise770]

that's funny at 6:35

[@jordanopp]

Joe Rogan sent me here ...

[@crazyhead74]

Much like Christopher Hitchens for me. Enigmatic as hell

[@wildizer]

I agree if you are referring to Gore Vidal. If you are referring to Buckley then I'm afraid I have to disagree. The only difference is that despite Buckley's inexorable eloquence, his words do not have any substance and all the fluff and oral grandstanding is worthless and shallow. When he stops saying his piece, there is a feeling that he has actually said nothing at all. Whereas Hitchins (and GV) articulations are truly magnificent and something aurally mighty to behold

[@rvmm2]

Gore vidal is a legend xD

[@danielbisson8032]

big eggs

[@roloug95]

I love Buckley's suave as fuck voice.

[@bobbywimsy6741]

roloug95 Do you remember impressionist David Frye doing Buckley, speaking in a mockery of political correctness, to feminist Congresswoman Bella Abzug, "So tell us, Congress thing Abzug..." Why? Congressman has "man" in it; even Congressperson has "son" in it...

[@playdo]

intellectual divas

[@gorecassady1632]

Disposition

[@daijones101]

William Buckley is the model for Chatsworth Osborne junior from Dobie Gillis. Wot a privileged prat.

[@adiwtiangco1493]

jre

[@reddeserted13]

Vidal's body language is better, stronger, more confident.

[@boltzmannbrain6607]

Republicans back then: Republicans today: person , woman , man, camera

[@jaggeric11]

Two and a half insecure men.

[@philfrank5601]

Buckley = verbose Who would be his equal today?

[@dougtaylor2803]

Listening to the typical tripe spewed by Vidal, I am reminded of Mark Twain's quotation that "you should never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level, and beat you with experience".

[@Bran40519]

just like buckley you are slime lmao

[@SlimeOgre]

Like yourself?

[@dinglepringle1380]

I wonder how much of Jeff Goldblum’s persona is based on William F. Buckley’s way of speaking.

[@cthulhuholmes]

Jesus Buckley seems drunk

[@Professorrob2k24]

This how rich people insult each other while the poor person lookin like “huh” lol

[@joe2125]

Buckleys calculated response to Vidal calling Raegan just a hollywood actor was masterful

[@nunomartins4265]

gore vidal was an absolute boss and pretty much predicted everything right

[@MrRaspberryBeret]

It seems as though Vidal gets his hide tanned fairly badly in this round.

[@tgore276]

How so?

[@Johnsmith99663]

T Gore Buckley dismantles Vidal’s description of Reagan as being basically nonsense. Vidal responds by calling Buckley “Marie Antoinette of the right”. These aren’t the tactics of someone who is secure in their argument.

[@evo5dave]

@@Johnsmith99663 Vidal makes comments on the candidates, Buckley responds with an attack on Vidal. It's only then that Vidal responds in kind. Buckley is a dullard. Look past his effected patrician drawl and there is zero substance.