Saw the DVD of the documentary “Best of Enemies” about the debates between William F Buckley Jr and Gore Vidal on ABCNews during the 1968 Republican and Democratic conventions. About two and a half minutes in, at a speaking engagement somewhere in the early 1960s, the first thing Bill Buckley says is, “Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. That was a very nice introduction. On the other hand, if it hadn’t been I would have smashed you in the God damn face.”
Later in the film, when Buckley loses his temper at Vidal and says, "Now listen, you queer. Stop calling me a crypto-Nazi or I’ll sock you in your God damn face and you’ll stay plastered” is the watershed line of the whole public affair.
Buckley wrote an article for Esquire about his debate experience and Vidal responded in the same magazine. At that, Buckley sued Esquire and Vidal, Vidal countersues, and the lawyers wrangle for three years until Esquire settles with Buckley who promptly claims victory, quietly dropping his own suit against Vidal.
You can see the documentary at
Incidentally, in the course of the 1968 debates Gore Vidal says that the richest 5% own 20% while the poorest 20% own 5%. You can compare the 1968 figures with those from this political cartoon from the Wednesday January 7, 1920 New York Call, the Socialist newspaper, by cartoonist Ryan Walker:
Persia perished when one per cent of the people owned all of the land.
Egypt went down when two per cent of the people owned 97 per cent of all wealth. Babylon died when two per cent owned all of the wealth. Rome expired when 1800 men possessed all of the known world. 65% of the wealth of America is controlled by 2 per cent of the people.
Wikipedia now says the richest 1% hold about 38% of all privately held wealth in the United States while the bottom 90% hold 73% of all debt. According to the New York Times, the "richest 1 percent in the United States now own more wealth than the bottom 90 percent".