The McLaughlin Group

The McLaughlin Group is a long-running weekly public affairs television program in the United States, where a group of five commentators discuss current political issues. They are:

• John McLaughlin, host
• Tony Blankley, The Washington Times
• Pat Buchanan, MSNBC
• Eleanor Clift, Newsweek
• Clarence Page, The Chicago Tribune

Each episode focuses on four issues. Each issue is introduced and briefly explained by McLaughlin, and then an open debate begins. Generally, Buchanan and Blankley represent the "conservative" viewpoint, while Page and Clift represent the "liberal" viewpoint.

The show is best known for the quirky style of McLaughlin, who is fond of making witty predictions based on current events, and of asking questions in absurd ways. One phrase he often uses is: "On a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 representing impossibility and 100 representing complete metaphysical certitude, what is the chance of...?" His style has been parodied by many comedians and other commentators, most notably Dana Carvey of Saturday Night Live.

External link

• http://www.mclaughlin.com/