Voting Station

Mark Shields

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Commentator

The Resume

    (May 25, 1937-June 18, 2022)
    Born in Weymouth, Massachusetts
    Worked on the Presidential campaigns of Robert F. Kennedy (1968), Edmund Muskie (1972), and Morris Udall and the Vice-Presidential campaign of Sargeant Shriver (1972)
    Syndicated columnist
    Political analyst for 'PBS NewsHour' (1977-2020)
    Panelist and moderator on 'Capital Gang' (1988-2005)
    Panelist on 'Inside Washington' (2005-13)
    Wrote 'On the Campaign Trail' (1985)

Why he might be annoying:

    He noted about the many unsuccessful political campaigns he worked on, 'I held the NCAA indoor record for concession speeches, written and delivered.'
    He said about a period of heavy drinking in the early 1970s, 'If I wasn't an alcoholic, I was probably a good imitation of one.'
    He was jowly.
    He conceded his New Deal liberalism was increasingly anachronistic.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was married to Anne Hudson for 56 years.
    He was a lance corporal in the US Marine Corps.
    The Wall Street Journal called him 'the wittiest political analyst around' and 'frequently the most trenchant, fair-minded, and thoughtful.'
    He and his NewsHour colleague David Brooks were the first winners of Allegheny College's Prize for Civility in Public Life (2012) for 'show[ing] noteworthy civility while continuing to fight passionately for their beliefs.'
    He said, 'There are two kinds of political parties, just like there are two kinds of churches: those who seek out converts and those who hunt down heretics.'

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 21 Votes: 52.38% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 39 Votes: 51.28% Annoying