I am probably one among thousands in my generation who regard the three most important proponents of core conservative principles of our time as Bill Buckley, Ronald Reagan, and, albeit to a lesser degree, Jack Kemp. Among many gifts, these men had the rare ability to articulate the basic principles of freedom, limited government, and strong defense of liberty in ways that resonated widely – Buckley with erudition, Reagan with simple and heartfelt sincerity, and Kemp, at his best, with uplifting passion.

I learned about conservative principles from my parents and especially around my grandmother’s table in the early 1960s. In 1964, I was one of the few 11-year olds in my 6th-grade class (if not the country) who passionately supported Barry Goldwater. I read Conscience of a Conservative, collected campaign buttons, and attended (alone) a rally where he spoke from the back of a train in Champaign, Illinois.

I first read Buckley – dictionary in hand – in my mid teens. As an undergraduate with a rebellious nature toward the end of the Vietnam War I became a pseudo-hippie who espoused liberal causes, including working as a volunteer for McGovern in 1972. Within a few years I had returned to my philosophical roots, having read Atlas Shrugged along the way. I subscribed to the National Review, receiving a weekly dose of Buckley and his gang. While I didn’t realize it at the time, Buckley’s understated religious faith also had influence. It helped me to appreciate that some very smart and articulate people believed in historical Christianity and to start thinking seriously about those issues. Many hours watching Firing Line came later. While I didn’t always agree with Mr. Buckley, he always caused me to think, and to appreciate words. As a small town Midwesterner, I was also charmed by his urbanity and sophistication, somewhat awed by his familiarity with an entirely different world than my own.

I became a fan of Reagan in my early 20s (circa 1975), perhaps in small part due to regional bias. My father was born in Tampico, Illinois, not many years after Reagan was born there. I was born in and later graduated high school from a small steel community on the Rock River, about a dozen miles from Reagan’s boyhood home of Dixon, Illinois. As a teenager I swam in that river and at times would drive through Dixon’s Lowell Park, where Reagan saved many from its treacherous currents. For some reason I don’t recall watching Reagan’s famous speech at the 1964 Republican convention (I couldn’t stay up very late at age 11). Given his age and the visceral hatred and ridicule of him by the left and the national media, I never believed he could be elected President.  His election (President Carter’s main positive contribution to the nation) taught me never to say “never.” Reagan’s communicative ability, charisma, leadership, and fortitude in the face of domestic and foreign perils place him in the same league as FDR. Unlike FDR, he was open, transparent, lacking in guile.  (He also understood economics better.)

Like Buckley and Reagan, Jack Kemp clearly articulated conservative principles.  He inspired and helped instill pride among conservatives. He focused attention on the have not’s by articulating a positive agenda for change based on incentives and empowerment, rather than disincentives and dependence. Had he been chosen as the VP nominee in 1980 and had Reagan-Kemp won, the last 20 years would likely have been much different.  I believe that we would have been in much better shape today.

Who will inspire today’s young conservatives or conservatives in waiting? Charles Krauthammer is a fine and steady source of informed and erudite analysis and opinion, in the intellectual tradition of Buckley.  I’ve become a major fan.  Sarah Palin has charisma and sincerity, and she shows promise as an effective communicator.  Seemingly transparent and guileless, at least by politician standards, she is hated and ridiculed by the left and the mainstream media. It will be interesting to see whether she has the stamina and other qualities necessary to become a national leader. Bobby Jindal is energetic and articulate, with an inspiring personal story and a growing reputation for executive competence. Not unlike Mark Sanford, he has a ways to go on the charisma and oral communication fronts. There are other rising young stars, including some who no doubt are unfamiliar to me. Americans who believe in freedom, limited government, and the strong defense of liberty have every reason to hope for the best.