That's Terry Teachout's take:
William F. Buckley Jr. founded and spent thirty-five years editing National Review, published some fifty-odd books, hosted 1,429 episodes of Firing Line, and wrote a syndicated newspaper column from 1962 until the day of his death in 2008. Yet anyone who seeks to explain the nature of his contribution to American political life must start by pointing out something else that those who knew Buckley took for granted, which is that he was an irresistibly charming man. Whatever your political beliefs, you couldn't spend five minutes in his company without liking him, or feeling that he liked you (if he did). It was this charm that made him socially palatable at a time when conservatism was widely looked upon by the liberal establishment as one step short of outright bigotry.
The Dish 