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M. Stanton Evans: Conservative Wit, Apostle of Freedom
M. Stanton Evans (d. 2015) was one of the unsung heroes and key figures of the modern conservative movement, offering a model to be remembered and emulated in both thought and deed. A person of extraordinary breadth, he combined the roles of journalist, first-rank thinker, and political action, often at the center of crucial events for the conservative movement from the mid-1950s to his last decade in the 2010s. He was the principal author of the Sharon Statement, the founding document of Young Americans for Freedom. Evans was also a mentor to an entire generation of conservative writers and journalists, including Ann Coulter, John Fund, Martin Morse Wooster, Tim Carney, Richard Miniter, William McGurn, and this author. Evans was libertarian in economics and policy, traditionalist in moral and social matters, respectful of religion, and resolutely anti-Communist. Over the years he wrote a number of elegant articles and one book (The Theme is Freedom) that reconciled many of the strains that often appear between these differing schools of conservative thought. He also wrote a controversial defense of Joseph McCarthy (Blacklisted by History), which is one of many examples of his fearlessness in contesting the conventional wisdom. Beyond his professional profile, Stan was also known for his ironic dry wit, which only came out in person, as well as his personal modesty and kindliness, and fondness for fast-food, sports, and classic rock and roll music trivia. He was “the conservative for the common man.”
- GenresBiography
400 pages, Hardcover
Published March 22, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 3, 2022
Daniel Oliver called M. Stanton Evans “everyman’s Bill Buckley.” Steven Hayward has written a wonderful biography of the too little known, and often forgotten, conservative thinker, writer, and journalist. He founded and grew numerous conservative activist groups, including the ACU, CPAC, the National Journalism Center, and was the author of the Sharon Statement that launched Young Americans for Freedom in 1960 (at Bill Buckley’s home in Sharon, CT). This is a fine history of American politics, the Cold War, and political philosophy through the lens of one of conservative’s major combatants, who we lost March 3, 2015. He wan indeed a wit and apostle of freedom.
Evan’s Wit
“I didn’t approve of what Joe McCarthy was trying to do, but I admired his methods.”
“Any country that can land a man on the moon, can abolish the income tax.”
“We need to repeal Obamacare, so we can find out what’s not in it.”
“Conservatives had to overcome the Goldwater defeat without grief counselors.”
“I wasn’t for Nixon until after Watergate.”
“That government is best which McGoverns least.”
“Liberals don’t care what you do so long as it’s mandatory.”
“It’s a good thing Republicans are pro-life, since they spend so much time in the fetal position.”
Evan’s Wit
“I didn’t approve of what Joe McCarthy was trying to do, but I admired his methods.”
“Any country that can land a man on the moon, can abolish the income tax.”
“We need to repeal Obamacare, so we can find out what’s not in it.”
“Conservatives had to overcome the Goldwater defeat without grief counselors.”
“I wasn’t for Nixon until after Watergate.”
“That government is best which McGoverns least.”
“Liberals don’t care what you do so long as it’s mandatory.”
“It’s a good thing Republicans are pro-life, since they spend so much time in the fetal position.”
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews