William F. Buckley has passed away. Though not really an integral part of my political development, I have always appreciated Buckley’s wit and considerable debating skills. In an argument, he was truly a force of nature, but he was also a gentleman. He could rip someone to shreds without losing his temper or giving them an opportunity to save face. He was also perhaps the most prominent proponent of fusionism, which made it ok for conservatives to oppose drug prohibition and accept other formerly solely “libertarian” ideas, which, in my book, has been a good thing. I certainly didn’t agree with him on everything, but I always found him entertaining, especially his long-running beef with Gore Vidal, which led to some memorable exchanges, and his answer to where the marijuana he tried with his son on his yacht in international waters came from: Parthenogenesis.

Here’s a selection of remembrances from around the blogosphere:

Tyler Cowen

Radley Balko

Jacob Sullum

Matthew Yglesias

Greg Ransom

Marlo Lewis

Doubtless there will be more as word spreads.