A biography for John J. McLaughlinhasn’t been written yet.
“Journalists can get very pompous, especially in the formalized days of 'Meet the Press,' when they took themselves so damned seriously.”
“I don't want just attitude and loud opinion.”
“I like good humor.”
“In a confrontational situation, you'll get their gut. And I want their gut! And that's why people watch this show!”
“Libertarianism is on its way!”
“Power as an experience is as intense as sex. Power is more pervasive and unremitting. Sex has periods of remission.”
“Somebody should tell the president of Mexico that when he appears on American television, he should speak English.”
“My position is that of detective, confessor, vaudevillian, advocate. And devil's advocate.”
“My feeling is talk shows have not kept pace with the breakthroughs and changes in format in television generally.”
“By creating a context of pressure, I can exact more preciseness, more brilliance. It's just as if coal is subjected to enormous pressure, you can get a diamond.”
“There's no substitute for the experience of childbearing or child rearing.”
“What we showed you was you can have analytic reasoning that can be passionate.”