Longtime journalist, conservative commentator has died
One of Oklahoma’s longest-serving political commentators, known for his tempered style and widely read The McCarville Report, a political news and conservative commentary site, has died.
Mike McCarville was 76. According to a post on the website, he died Wednesday after struggling with an illness.
McCarville labeled his commentary The Gadfly, a warning of his sharp, persistent criticism of those in government and politics. Even then, he wasn’t belligerent.
“It was no secret that Mike was a proud Republican who would always keep an open ear for opposing points of view,” wrote Jason Doyle, contributing editor for The McCarville Report. “He didn’t need to devolve a conversation into the partisan screaming matches so familiar on today’s cable and radio talk shows.”
Over his long career in journalism and political commentary, McCarville contributed to The Oklahoman,
The Oklahoma
Journal, The Oklahoma
City Times, The Tulsa Tribune, The Norman Transcript and The Oklahoma Courier, according to his website. In the 1970s, he was assistant news editor at KWTV-9 and also appeared on KOSU-FM 91.7, KGWA-AM 960, KTOK-AM 1000 and the NRA News show.
McCarville was a consultant for Bill Price in his unsuccessful 1990 campaign for governor.
He was inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame in 2013.
The McCarville Report will continue to cover politics. In the meantime, Doyle said he will remain as contributing editor.
Doyle said McCarville’s temperament made him stand out among political commentators.
“It was just amazing to listen to him spin tales and just be able to really nail down conservative points without sounding like a talking point,” Doyle said by phone Wednesday. “He was just so confident in his views that he knew he could fairly and calmly debate issues.”
McCarville, Doyle said, didn’t have to go off the edge.
“He had conversations; he didn’t have confrontations,” said Doyle.
McCarville lauched his weekly political newsletter in 1980 and later transitioned his coverage into an online only publication.
“Because he’s always been involved in broadcast media and broadcast media always changes, I think he was ready for those changes and was able to make it,” said Doyle, who first worked for McCarville at KTOK more than a decade ago.
McCarville is survived by his wife, Ann, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Tributes poured in from politicians, journalists and admirers Wednesday.
“He was a personal friend who I will remember as being fair, but tough in pursuing stories and tips,” Gov. Mary Fallin wrote of McCarville. “He worked for several news outlets throughout his career, but I remember him most during his time on the radio, in which he liked to describe himself as the ‘man with a face for radio.’ ”
U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma City, said, “Mike was an investigator, communicator, and he had a passion for people and politics. He loved his state and its people, and he will be missed by me and my family. My prayers are with his loved ones and many friends.”
State Corrections Department Director Joe Allbaugh also sent his regards.
“Mike McCarville was a great family man and close personal friend who was an inspiration to me and many others,” Allbaugh wrote in a statement. “I had the honor of first meeting him when we worked on a campaign together in the ‘80s. We remained friends until today when I heard about his unfortunate passing.”