John McLaughlin (host)

Template:Short description Template:Other people Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person John Joseph McLaughlin (Template:IPAc-en;<ref>"The McLaughlin Group 11/16/12"</ref> March 29, 1927 – August 16, 2016) was an American television personality and political commentator. He created, produced, and hosted the political commentary series The McLaughlin Group. He also hosted and produced John McLaughlin's One on One, which ran from 1984 to 2013.

Education and early career

John Joseph McLaughlin was born in Providence, Rhode Island, the son of Augustus Hugh McLaughlin and his wife Eva Philomena, née Turcotte.<ref name=TCM>"Biography: John McLaughlin", Turner Classic Movies</ref> He grew up in a Catholic family who were second-generation Irish Americans and attended La Salle Academy (Rhode Island), Providence.<ref name=ny-times-obituary/> At age 18, he entered Weston College in Weston, Massachusetts, which later became the theological seminary of Boston College, to become a Catholic priest.<ref name="ENCYCLOPEDIAOFTVNEWS">Murray, Michael D. (editor). "Biography: John McLaughlin", Encyclopedia of Television News</ref>

He entered the Jesuit order in 1947, aged 20, was ordained as a priest in 1959, and went on to earn two master's degrees (philosophy and English literature) from Boston College. After his ordination, McLaughlin spent some years as a high school teacher at Fairfield College Preparatory School, a Jesuit prep school in Connecticut. He took time off from teaching to earn a Ph.D. (philosophy) from Columbia University. He wrote his thesis on the Catholic poet Gerard Manley Hopkins. He then became a writer and later assistant editor for the Jesuit current affairs publication, America, in New York City. Disagreements with the editor of the magazine led to his departure in 1970 after which he moved back to Providence.<ref name="ProJo obit">Template:Cite news</ref>

Political career

McLaughlin with Richard Nixon on May 3, 1974.

McLaughlin was originally a supporter of the Democratic Party and opposed the Vietnam War, but then became a war supporter and changed his party affiliation to Republican. In 1970, he sought permission from the Jesuit order to run for a seat in the United States Senate, representing Rhode Island. They had given permission to fellow Jesuit Father Robert Drinan who ran successfully for the United States House of Representatives in Massachusetts. When they refused, McLaughlin ran anyway but lost to the incumbent four-term Senator John O. Pastore.<ref name=ny-times-obituary>Template:Cite news</ref> Through a friendship with Pat Buchanan, McLaughlin then became a speechwriter for U.S. President Richard Nixon. In 1974, after the resignation of President Nixon, he spent two months under President Gerald Ford's administration. In 1975, he left the priesthood.<ref name=wp/>

Media career

After leaving the White House, McLaughlin worked with his wife Ann in public relations and in 1980 became a weekend radio host on WRC-AM in Washington, D.C. Eventually he was fired from that job.<ref name=wp>Template:Cite news</ref>

He then went on to write for National Review and to host The McLaughlin Group, which premiered in 1982. The television show brought together four political commentators, usually two conservatives and two liberals, with McLaughlin seated in the middle.<ref name=ny-times-obituary/> McLaughlin was known for his loud and forceful style of presentation, usually stating his opinion in an apodictic manner and often cutting off other panelists by declaring their opinion "Wrong!" or putting a question to the panel, listening to other opinions, before finally giving his opinion as "the correct answer". Discussions in the McLaughlin Group tended to run until the very last few seconds of airtime, when McLaughlin would rather abruptly end each episode by saying "Bye-bye!".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> McLaughlin's style and mannerisms were parodied by comedians and other commentators, most notably Dana Carvey of Saturday Night Live. McLaughlin enjoyed SNL's recurring McLaughlin Group sketches, even making a 1991 cameo appearance as the Grim Reaper in one of them.<ref name="Chicago Trib SNL story">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Mediaite">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Petski>Template:Cite web</ref>

McLaughlin also hosted the interview show John McLaughlin's One on One, first telecast in 1984, and ended in 2013.<ref name="mclaughlin.com">Template:Cite web</ref> Also from 1989 through 1994, he produced and hosted McLaughlin, a one-hour nightly talk show on CNBC.<ref name="mclaughlin.com"/> For a short while in 1999, he hosted an MSNBC show, McLaughlin Special Report. The show was announced on January 22,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and its cancellation was announced on February 25.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A revival of The McLaughlin Group ran briefly in 2018, and retained McLaughlin's name in the show's title despite his death.

Personal life and death

On August 23, 1975, McLaughlin married Ann Dore (née Lauenstein), his former campaign manager. She served as Secretary of Labor under President Ronald Reagan from 1987 until 1989. During this period, McLaughlin was sued for sexual harassment and discrimination by a former employee. He settled the suit in December 1989.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

McLaughlin and Dore divorced in 1992.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> McLaughlin married his second wife Cristina Clara Vidal on June 22, 1997.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The marriage ended in divorce in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

During the December 26, 2014, year-end awards episode, McLaughlin ended the show saying: "Person of the year: Pope Francis, especially now that he's told that animals can go to heaven. And Oliver is up there waiting for me."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Oliver Productions, Inc., is named after McLaughlin's pet dog <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> — a Basset Hound — and is seen in an animation as part of the brand logo shown at the close of each show. Oliver shared their Watergate apartment during McLaughlin's tenure as speechwriter for President Nixon.<ref>John Mclaughlin, Nixon's Priest, Is Now a Civilian Radio Host Who Is Married and Hoping for Fatherhood People</ref>

After missing his first broadcast in 34 years, McLaughlin died on August 16, 2016, at his home in Washington, D.C. of prostate cancer at the age of 89.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> McLaughlin's last message to fans was August 13, when he explained he had missed recent tapings due to his poor health.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In popular culture

The McLaughlin Group was parodied a number of times on Saturday Night Live in the early 1990s, where McLaughlin was played by Dana Carvey.<ref name=wp/> McLaughlin also appeared in several films, including Dave, Mission: Impossible, Independence Day, and War, Inc., generally portraying himself discussing a political character in the movie. In the 2009 movie Watchmen, he is portrayed by Gary Houston in an early scene interviewing Pat Buchanan (played by James M. Connor) and Eleanor Clift (played by Mary Ann Burger) about the possibility of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. McLaughlin also hosted a special celebration for the 200th episode of the NBC sitcom Cheers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Further reading

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External links

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• The McLaughlin Group website: John McLaughlin biography.
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