JOHN J. MCLAUGHLIN

American colleges are now increasingly reflexive in maintaining politically correct dialogue over controversy, and some say universities have lost sight of education's ultimate purpose.

Liberals always blame the other guy.

I don't miss being a priest. The fulfillment factor in matrimony is far greater.

When faced with economic uncertainty, people don't want freedom. When they can't see their economic future, they want the nanny state.

My position is that of detective, confessor, vaudevillian, advocate. And devil's advocate.

Radio, in a way, is preaching.

I predict that as warm weather returns to Europe, so will the flood of Middle Eastern immigrants.

In a confrontational situation, you'll get their gut. And I want their gut! And that's why people watch this show!

According to the White House, the president's proposed 2016-2017 spending would add - get this - $62 billion to the deficit.

What we showed you was you can have analytic reasoning that can be passionate.

President Obama took charge of the Oval Office seven years ago. He promised a positive reset in relations with Russia. But with the radioactive poisoning of a British spy in London, the downing of passenger jets over Europe, and the aggressive advances of Russian forces from Ukraine to Syria, President Putin of Russia has rebuked Mr. Obama.

I do put my questions in terms of the sharpest polarities of the issue. But I don't want a preponderance of opinion over factual data.

I don't want just attitude and loud opinion.

What I want is a clash of ideas, not opinions.

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.

I predict 2016 will be a year of upheaval and realignment across the world. China's economy will continue to sputter. Commodity exporting countries will suffer. Europe's growth will remain flat-lined. The U.S. will plug along at under 3% growth.

Terms such as 'microaggression,' describing an inadvertent act of offense, have entered the college lexicon, empowering an atmosphere of prior restraint on speech. And many colleges are also disinviting speakers in fear of offending certain elements of their student communities.

The acquisition of knowledge need not be like listening to the Gregorian chant.

Anyone who magnifies the power of a television talk show is very unrealistic.

Power as an experience is as intense as sex. Power is more pervasive and unremitting. Sex has periods of remission.

My theory is people say under pressure for the most part what they really mean.

Conflicting views and contrasting ideas are the essence of all great debates throughout history, from the Greeks to the Oxford Union Debating Society. Today, we turn to television for the creative clash of ideas on matters that touch our lives.

It's terrible when I go somewhere, and I'm not recognized.

I like good humor.

My feeling is talk shows have not kept pace with the breakthroughs and changes in format in television generally.