William F. Buckley and the intelligent Right

Although not often thought of as important, charm played a pivotal role in his success:

It's impossible to talk intelligibly about Buckley without talking about his personality. Indeed, it's far more important to talk about his personality than about his philosophy, which was anything but original. He was a journalist, not a systematic thinker, and in addition to his personal charm, his other special gift was the ability to popularize the ideas of others. The Brits call such folk "publicists," and Buckley was, if such a thing exists, a publicist of genius. Therein lay his true significance. Though he was a deft and agreeable stylist, I doubt that many of his books will long survive him. If he is remembered, as he should be, it won't be for what he wrote but for what he did -- and who he was.