“Any organization not explicitly right-wing eventually becomes left-wing” is John O’Sullivan’s axiom. He was a regular contributor & editor of National Review long before it imploded.
It was when O’Sullivan was replaced by Lowry that NR became totally worthless. Around 20 years ago IIRC. Buckley was under pressure from the neocons to stop publishing articles critical of immigration. Sadly, Buckley sold out in the end. When WFB wrote and editorial opposing the Iraq War, NR wouldn’t publish it! A fitting humiliation to Buckley after his cowardly kowtowing to neocons.