Wow, how interesting. I was in high school then, never probably even knew who Buckley or Alinsky were, and their mannerisms and speech would have resulted in my chalking them off as a couple of dorks. But just look at what passes for political discourse today...
I was a teen in the 1960s watching Firing Line, and American media was liberal, professors were liberal, etc, like today, and there was no conservative voice except his, on Firing Line.
I remember wondering how he always won, why was he always right and his positions always making so much sense to me, when all the other adults, and intellectuals and important people and thinkers disagreed with him.
In an ocean of liberalism we had John Wayne taking a stand in the movies he made, and William F. Buckley, taking a stand at his level.
They saved so many of us youth, and emboldened those adults who already knew which side they were on, but needed to be supported by bold, eloquent leaders.
Buckley was very well known in the sixties and even made an appearance on “Laugh In.” Groucho Marx was quoted as saying he’d vote for Buckley if he ran for president.