Pat Buchanan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pat Buchanan
Buchanan in 2008
White House Communications Director
In office February 6, 1985 – March 1, 1987
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Michael A. McManus Jr.
Succeeded by	Jack Koehler
Personal details
Born	Patrick Joseph Buchanan (1938-11-02) November 2, 1938 (age 86) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Republican (before 1999, 2004–present)
Other political affiliations	Reform (1999–2002) Independent (2002–2004)
Spouse	Shelley Ann Scarney ​ (m. 1971)​
Education	Georgetown University (BA) Columbia University (MA)

Patrick Joseph Buchanan (born November 2, 1938) is an American writer, political talk show host, and politician. He is known for his conservative views. Buchanan worked as an assistant and special advisor for U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan. He is an important voice in the modern conservative movement in America.

Buchanan ran for president several times. In 1992 and 1996, he tried to become the Republican candidate. In 1992, he ran against the sitting president, George H. W. Bush. Buchanan disagreed with Bush on taxes, foreign policy, trade, immigration, and social issues. In 2000, he was the presidential candidate for the Reform Party. His campaign focused on keeping America out of foreign conflicts, stopping illegal immigration, and preventing jobs from moving overseas. He chose Ezola Foster as his running mate.

In 2002, Buchanan helped start The American Conservative magazine. He also created a group called The American Cause. He has written for many publications, including National Review and Rolling Stone. He was also a political commentator on TV networks like CNN and MSNBC. Buchanan was a regular guest on The McLaughlin Group. His ideas often remind people of older conservative thinkers from the early 1900s.

Early Life and Education

Pat Buchanan was born in Washington, D.C. on November 2, 1938. His father, William Baldwin Buchanan, was a partner in an accounting firm. His mother, Catherine Elizabeth (Crum) Buchanan, was a nurse and homemaker. Pat had six brothers and two sisters. One of his sisters, Angela Marie, became the Treasurer of the United States under President Ronald Reagan.

Buchanan's family background includes Irish, English, Scottish, and German roots. He had a great-grandfather who fought in the American Civil War for the Confederate States Army. Because of this, he is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. He has said he admires historical figures like Robert E. Lee and Douglas MacArthur.

Pat Buchanan grew up in a Catholic family and attended Catholic schools. This included Gonzaga College High School, which is run by the Jesuits. He went to Georgetown University and earned a bachelor's degree in English in 1960. He later received a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University in 1962. His master's paper was about trade between Canada and Cuba.

Early Career in Journalism

After college, Buchanan joined the St. Louis Globe-Democrat newspaper at age 23. He wrote about how trade between Canada and Cuba grew a lot after the U.S. started its embargo in 1961. This article helped his career. Buchanan later said that the embargo actually made the communist government in Cuba stronger.

In 1964, he was promoted to assistant editorial page editor. He supported Barry Goldwater's campaign for president. Buchanan also worked for a law firm in New York City in 1965.

Working for President Nixon

Buchanan working for President Nixon in 1969

In 1966, Pat Buchanan was the first advisor hired for Richard Nixon's presidential campaign. He mainly worked on researching opponents. Buchanan wrote strong speeches for Nixon that were aimed at his most loyal supporters. His colleagues even called him "Mr. Inside." He traveled with Nixon during his campaigns in 1966 and 1968.

During Nixon's time as president, Buchanan became important for dealing with the press, setting policies, and planning political moves. He worked as an assistant and speechwriter for Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew. Buchanan came up with the famous phrase "Silent Majority." This phrase helped Nixon gain support from many Democrats.

Buchanan also helped prepare Nixon for news conferences. He traveled with Nixon on his important trip to China in 1972. He also went to a summit in Moscow in 1974. Buchanan stayed with Nixon until the end of the Watergate scandal in 1974. He appeared before the Senate Watergate Committee in 1973 to talk about his role.

When Nixon resigned in 1974, Buchanan briefly stayed on to work for the new president, Gerald Ford.

Becoming a News Commentator

Buchanan greeting President George H. W. Bush in 1989

After leaving the White House, Buchanan went back to writing his newspaper column. He also started appearing regularly on TV and radio. He co-hosted a radio show called the Buchanan-Braden Program with a liberal writer named Tom Braden. He also gave daily comments on NBC radio.

Buchanan became well-known across the country from his appearances on TV shows. He was a regular on The McLaughlin Group and CNN's Crossfire. On Crossfire, he often debated with other commentators like Michael Kinsley and Bill Press. His newspaper columns are still published in many places.

Working for President Reagan

Buchanan in 1985

Buchanan served as the White House Communications Director from February 1985 to March 1987. In a speech in 1986, Buchanan talked about whether President Ronald Reagan was setting a new path for the country. He wondered if Reagan would be seen as just a short break in a long decline.

After leaving the White House, Buchanan returned to his column and the TV show Crossfire.

Running for President

1992 Presidential Campaign

Logo used for Buchanan's 1992 and 1996 campaigns

Buchanan at the Florida State Capitol in 1992

Buchanan strongly criticized President George H. W. Bush's policies, especially Bush breaking his promise of "Read my lips: no new taxes". In December 1991, Buchanan announced he would challenge Bush for the Republican presidential nomination.

Buchanan did not win any primary elections, but he came in a strong second place in the New Hampshire primary. Many people thought he pushed President Bush to change his economic plans. Buchanan's campaign ran many radio and TV ads criticizing Bush.

In 1992, Buchanan explained why he was running against the sitting president:

If the country wants to go in a liberal direction... it doesn't bother me as long as I've made the best case I can. What I can't stand are the back-room deals. They're all in on it, the insider game, the establishment game—this is what we're running against.

He ran on a platform that included reducing immigration and supporting socially conservative ideas. He also opposed multiculturalism and gay rights. Buchanan won 38% of the vote in the New Hampshire primary. Overall, he received three million votes, which was 23% of the total votes in the Republican primaries.

Buchanan later supported Bush and gave a speech at the 1992 Republican National Convention. This speech became known as the culture war speech. In it, he said there was "a religious war going on in our country for the soul of America." Some critics said this speech made moderate voters less likely to support Bush.

1996 Presidential Campaign

Buchanan tried again to win the Republican nomination in 1996. The main Republican candidate was Senator Bob Dole of Kansas. Buchanan ran against Dole from a more conservative viewpoint. He spoke out against the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Other candidates included Senator Phil Gramm and Steve Forbes.

In February, Buchanan won the New Hampshire primary, beating Dole by about 3,000 votes. This was an even better result than his second-place finish in 1992. He also won three other states: Alaska, Missouri, and Louisiana. He finished very close behind Dole in the Iowa caucus. His campaign was very energetic. He used strong words to get support from everyday conservative people who felt ignored by the political establishment in Washington, D.C..

At a rally in Nashua, he famously said:

We shocked them in Alaska. Stunned them in Louisiana. Stunned them in Iowa. They are in a terminal panic. They hear the shouts of the peasants from over the hill. All the knights and barons will be riding into the castle pulling up the drawbridge in a minute. All the peasants are coming with pitchforks. We're going to take this over the top.

However, in the later "Super Tuesday" primaries, Dole defeated Buchanan by large margins. Buchanan ended his campaign in March, having received 21% of the total votes in the Republican primaries. He then endorsed Bob Dole. After the 1996 campaign, Buchanan went back to his column and Crossfire.

2000 Presidential Campaign

In October 1999, Buchanan announced he was leaving the Republican Party. He said both Republicans and Democrats were too focused on Washington. He then sought the nomination of the Reform Party.

The Reform Party had some disagreements about who to nominate. Eventually, the Federal Election Commission decided that Buchanan was the official Reform Party candidate. This meant he would receive about $12.6 million in federal campaign funds.

In his acceptance speech, Buchanan suggested that the U.S. should leave the United Nations. He also proposed getting rid of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and several government departments. He chose Ezola B. Foster, an African American activist and retired teacher, as his running mate.

In the 2000 presidential election, Buchanan finished fourth. He received 449,895 votes, which was 0.4% of the total votes. In Palm Beach County, Florida, Buchanan received an unusually high number of votes (3,407). This was thought to be because of a confusing ballot design, where some voters might have accidentally voted for him instead of Al Gore.

Later Political Views and Media Work

After the 2000 election, Buchanan did not take an active role in the Reform Party. For a few years, he called himself a political independent. He felt the Republican Party leadership had become too "neo-conservative." Before the 2004 election, Buchanan said he was a Republican again. He also said he would not run for president again. He supported Bush's reelection in 2004, saying Bush was right on important issues.

Buchanan also supported Republican candidate Mitt Romney in 2012. He said that Romney offered hope and change. In the 2016 presidential election, Buchanan supported Donald Trump. Trump ran on many of the same ideas that Buchanan had campaigned on years earlier.

MSNBC Commentator

Buchanan being interviewed in 2008

Buchanan continued writing his column. He also returned to TV as a co-host on MSNBC's Buchanan and Press starting in 2002. He debated with his co-host, Bill Press. They often disagreed, but they both opposed the Iraq War.

MSNBC later canceled Buchanan and Press in 2003. However, Buchanan stayed at MSNBC as a political analyst. He often appeared on shows like Morning Joe and Hardball. In 2011, Buchanan was suspended from MSNBC. In 2012, it was announced that his work with MSNBC had ended.

The American Conservative Magazine

In 2002, Buchanan worked with other journalists to create The American Conservative magazine. This new magazine aimed to share traditional conservative ideas about the economy, immigration, and foreign policy. The first issue came out in October 2002.

Personal Life

Buchanan's wife Shelley in 1996

Pat Buchanan married Shelley Ann Scarney, who worked at the White House, in 1971. They had a tabby cat named Gipper. Buchanan is a traditionalist Catholic.

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See also

In Spanish: Pat Buchanan para niños