A Torch Kept Lit; The Greatest Comeback

"A Torch Kept Lit" was a collection of obituaries William F. Buckley published in his magazine, National Review. You wouldn't think a book of obituaries would be interesting, but I'd never read anything Buckley wrote, and I kept hearing what a great writer he was, so I decided to give it a shot. It was, for the most part, pretty good. Of course there were some obituaries of some folks I didn't know, so they were boring. He was awfully hard on some people, too, like Winston Churchill. It was interesting to see how his writing evolved from the early years (the 1950s and 1960s) and how he mellowed out as he approached his own demise. Age gives us perspective. 

I realized I really didn't know much about Richard Nixon, other than Watergate. I've been to the Nixon library and museum in Yorba Linda (it's close to where I live), but other than that I hadn't read anything about him. 

The media destroyed Nixon during the 1960 election. Nixon hated journalists and the feeling was mutual. Buchanan joined his speechwriting team and helped him win the election in 1968. It was truly fascinating to see how history repeats itself. Especially over the last few years, I've heard a lot of people my age or older (who really should know better) talk about how terrible politicians are and how they've "never seen things like this". I think that's why it's so important to look back and remember. The more things change, the more things stay the same. Here's an excerpt from Nixon's speech in 1968, accepting the nomination at the Republican National Convention: 

 As we look at America, we see cities enveloped in smoke and flame.

 

We hear sirens in the night.

 

We see Americans dying on distant battlefields abroad.

 

We see Americans hating each other; fighting each other; killing each other at home.

 

And as we see and hear these things, millions of Americans cry out in anguish.

 

Did we come all this way for this?

 

Did American boys die in Normandy, and Korea, and in Valley Forge for this?

 

Listen to the answer to those questions.

 

It is another voice. It is the quiet voice in the tumult and the shouting.

 

It is the voice of the great majority of Americans, the forgotten Americans -- the non-shouters; the non-demonstrators.

 

They are not racists or sick; they are not guilty of the crime that plagues the land.

 

They are black and they are white -- they're native born and foreign born -- they're young and they're old.

 

They work in America's factories.

 

They run America's businesses.

 

They serve in government.

 

They provide most of the soldiers who died to keep us free.

 

They give drive to the spirit of America.

 

They give lift to the American Dream.

 

They give steel to the backbone of America. They are good people, they are decent people; they work, and they save, and they pay their taxes, and they care.

 

Like Theodore Roosevelt, they know that this country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless it is a good place for all of us to live in.

 

This I say to you tonight is the real voice of America. In this year 1968, this is the message it will broadcast to America and to the world.

 

Let's never forget that despite her faults, America is a great nation.

 

And America is great because her people are great.