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National Review and Me
My father was a William F. Buckley buff. I still prize his autographed copy of WFB’s second book, McCarthy and His Enemies (co-authored in 1954 with L. Brent Bozell, Jr, Buckley’s brother-in-law). One year later, Buckley founded National Review.
By the time the sixties rolled around, it’s fair to say I was destined to be an NR reader. For me, and with respect to Andrew Breitbart, politics was not downstream from culture. I saw no inconsistency in loving The Who, the Stones, MC5, and National Review, much to the chagrin of some of my contemporaries. And I think the Buckley fandom made my father happy, which was a bonus. You’ll still find a 1965 Buckley for Mayor of New York City poster in my home.
So let’s fast forward to September, 2022. I am about six weeks into another renewal of my subscription to both the dead tree version of NR and National Review Online. We are years past the infamous “Against Trump” issue, compiled during the primaries leading up to the 2016 election. That issue alienated many Ricochet members, to say the least, and still stands as an early sign of the NeverTrump movement. I’ve long felt that NR remains important because it has some fine writers who champion important conservative causes. I’m also not ashamed to say that I’ve defended the magazine here in discussions with people whom I respect—and I fully recognize that some here really dislike the publication.
This is all a prelude to my personal deep thoughts as to whether it’s time to jump ship, something that never occurred to me even in the days of “Against Trump.” In many ways, I think that I’m a prototypical NR subscriber: older, conservative, Buckley fan, and a supporter of the Trump presidency who still sees some warts. Yet, in the last several months (some would say much longer), the unremitting lack of any balance regarding Trump has significantly alienated me. Time and space don’t permit an exhaustive count of what has pushed me to the edge of cancellation, but let’s try a short and recent list.
I’ve generally been good with the pro-impeachment, but often knowledgeable, Andrew McCarthy, but have seriously tired of the likes of Trump Brings Out the Worst in His Enemies, as He Undermines Himself. Much also has been written here about the bombastic Kevin Williamson, yet his recent A Clear and Present Danger column was a new low even for me (“President Biden isn’t taking on the Trumpists’ illiberalism — he’s imitating it.” “Of course the Trump movement is semi-fascist . . .” ). Yes, Kevin, of course.
Messrs. McLaughlin and Geraghty are long-standing Trump critics as well, but the proverbial final straw may have come from Second Amendment stalwart and Ricochet friend Charles C.W. Cooke, a seemingly rational person who has decided 20 months after the end of the Trump presidency that Donald Trump Is Still a Lunatic. You may have noticed that the common thread in much of the above goes beyond “Against Trump” to “Much of what we see in Biden is Trump’s fault.”
So does this story have an ending? I know a good number of you who have read this far are saying “So cancel already, dummy!” But it’s hard for me to toss away 50 years of a reading tradition. Still, if I’m close, I wonder how many NR traditionalists are either gone or right at the edge of the long goodbye.
Published in Journalism
I was more talking about cruises.
I disagree though. I dint think I’ll ever be well off enough comfortable enough to drop 25K on a trip.
KDW wrote all that blather and didn’t even bother to point out NR’s own contribution to the Covington smear. Sounds about right.
Just an aside, but wouldn’t it be more useful to structure things so that people can get these insights when they’re much younger?
We aren’t, either, and never will be. We had to save for several years just to afford the new roof we would need this year. It was less than $25K, but an investment that will serve us the rest of our remaining lives. NR post election cruises, inside cabin, are cheaper than a week in Orlando visiting Disney and other theme parks. Heck, just the Atlanta meetup, hotel, gas, drinks, meals, and shooting, cost us $900 for a 2-night vacation for two. I don’t regret a cent, it was an excellent investment. I have another advantage you don’t have, yet, we are collecting Social Security. It easily covers the cruise. You work hard now and will be rewarded later for your work ethic.
Your theory is provocative and interesting, but I don’t think most of the editors and contributors at National Review are acting because of some pressure from the Left. If they are RHINOS at times or soft on some issues, I think that is just because they are not staunch conservatives at heart. I would agree with your assessment perhaps in the case of David French and maybe Jonah Goldberg, as they seem to be unduly influenced by popular opinions.
I will take that to them. However, hosting a week on a ship is cheaper than a week in DC or NYC. They are sampling zoom book clubs and taking NRI institute programs on the road, but not near me. The NRI takes programs and speakers to colleges. You might be on to something. Since their programs are geared to those who can afford them now, the feedback loop might have cut them off from the ideas and feelings of those like us on ricochet.
I agree with your sentiments. I know National Review isn’t perfect (and at times downright flat-out wrong), but I have not come across a publication yet that I thought was 100% right all the time. I even disagreed with Rush Limbaugh on some rare occasions. It is of little benefit to seek out the perfect publication or pundit. I’m big enough to listen to some contrary opinions and disregard them if need be, while soaking up all the good information I can find. I’m relatively new to the Internet (I think about ten years now) and I’m just overjoyed that there is so much info to choose from.
This may be right, I have no inside knowledge to back up my view. I wrote that NR caved to the pressure, but that is a somewhat cynical way of putting things, because I don’t think NR is populated by wimps. It’s more like they think they have a seat at the mainstream table and exert conservative influence there, and that seat is something to be guarded because it is valuable. Not just to NR, but to conservatism generally.
NR isn’t wrong about that, and they aren’t wrong about being careful to avoid association with far right cases that would ruin their reputation. What they seem to miss is that the left has now defined “far right” so broadly that any meaningful resistance to progressivism is ruled out of bounds. The Derbyshire case in 2012 is an example. His article (which wasn’t even published in NR) would have been run of the mill for the NR of the 1960s. The NR of 2012, however, was so terrified of the mainstream response to the article that it quickly severed ties with Derb. That was the first indication to me that NR had become “house broken”.
I canceled my own damn subscription years ago. I then received my “final issue” for another year or two (I guess that way they can tell advertisers that sent out X number of magazines each month).
When I was getting it the first thing I would do is turn to the back and read Steyn. Then I would usually look for Derbyshire, who wrote more about suburban life than politics. After that I would see what WFB had to say as I knew that would improve my vocabulary. Next I would check for Rob Long as Kim Jong-il articles which were always funny. Eventually I just got bored. No “you guys suck” type of hissy fit, more of just meh.
Maybe they actually turned you more conservative than NR was itself? So it was no longer of much value or interest? I’ve experienced things like that too.
It is not contrary opinions, it is being sneered at. I will not read that, period.
The left sneers at me already. It is a bridge too far from “friends” on the right.
I rather enjoyed this:
https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2021/02/standing-athwart-pulling-plug-national-review-david-deavel.html
Sorry if I missed an earlier reference.
American Spectator? I tried that for a bit, then switched to Epoch times.
I also wrote a post about cancelling my subscription and had it promoted and then demoted to the main feed. That was fun to watch.
Two things caught my attention. The first is the dramatic decrease in subscriptions. I knew it had declined but wow. You would think they would learn. I still subscribe but haven’t donated in a while. Why? If they are that intent on committing suicide, it is a waste of my hard -earned money. I will pay for services, nrplus and book club.
The other thing, that I already knew, I posted for those who think they cut Steyn loose.
You also destroyed the British and French over Suez dont forget.
I have been constantly at odds with the Free Trade Cult for many years myself.
Feel like giving us a link to it?
No. Claire is a true believer.
Oh here it is. Turns out a lot of my posts are for some podcast I do…
https://ricochet.com/836455/cancelling-my-own-damn-national-review-subscription/
Oh my, beginning to think NR is hopelessly lost.
Steorts is one of the reasons I dropped my subscription.
The left always accuses conservatives of what the left is actually doing, and there are some people even at NR stupid enough to fall for it.
Ah yes.
The more I think about it, the more National Review has become a wishy-washy conservative magazine. Even Andrew McCarthy is crumbling. He used to be good. American Spectator is a lot better even though I consider publisher Melissa Mackenzie to be a little flaky.
McCarthy can’t come to terms with the fact that the agencies he used to work for/rely on when he was a prosecutor are corrupt now. Even after the mountains of evidence, he still gives them a pass. I know it’s hard to realize people/institutions you once had trust in are not trustworthy anymore, but after a while you just have to accept it and move on. I think he still is in disbelief about the Russiagate hoax. At least he finally admitted that one.
This is a conclusion a lot of us are struggling with. There is a big difference between an institution that has some corrupt individuals in it, and an institution that is itself fundamentally corrupt. I’ve always thought that an aspect of “American exceptionalism” is that our institutions are fundamentally sound. I’ve always believed the FBI was fundamentally sound despite some corrupt individuals (even including J. Edgar Hoover).
But recently I’ve had to accept the fact that the FBI is now fundamentally corrupt, which strikes a blow at my view of “American exceptionalism.” It means accepting the fact that America is no longer exceptional, or at least isn’t as exceptional as I thought it was. That’s a depressing thing to come to terms with.
Yes, it is. Like I told one of them, I don’t know if I am going on the cruise to hear what is on their mind or to give them a piece of my mind. Looking like the latter will happen at some point.
All I see in that mishmash of language is Eric Idle saying, “And our father’s fathers’ fathers’ fathers’!” Darn Romans.
Steorts is the priss that took public exception to Steyn’s retelling of the “fruit cordial” joke.
This is a good reason to be on ricochet. The NR comments section has become a cesspool, too.
The Steorts article was the last straw. I signed up on VDH’s Sword of Perseus this AM and am looking at City Journal. I didn’t cancel my subscription to NR but will let it expire in March. As Bryan says, you don’t give money to people who look down on you. They are at war with the wrong side. Besides, I spend more time on ricochet than NRPlus these days anyway. I am sorry it came to this.
On-line, I read a lot more at The American Spectator than at NRO. I still get both in print.
My print favorite is The New Criterion.