Inside Dopes?

Abstract

In this article, we classify and evaluate the accuracy of the predictions issued by members of The McLaughlin Group, a Washington-based, syndicated public affairs discussion program with a sizable following among political elites. We conclude that the influence of John McLaughlin and his colleagues must be based principally on the interests and perceptions of their audience rather than on the clarity and accuracy of their predictions, both of which are lacking. We argue, however, that this does not make the program any less important a component of political discourse in the nation's capital.