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John Avlon is senior political columnist for The Daily Beast and the author of Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America as well as Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics. Previously, he was a columnist and associate editor for the New York Sun. He is the creator of the "Wingnuts of the Week" segment on CNN and is on sabbatical as a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

Avlon was the youngest and longest-serving speechwriter in Mayor Giuliani's City Hall. After the attacks of September 11th, 2001, he and his team were responsible for writing the eulogies for all firefighters and police officers murdered in the destruction of the World Trade Center. Avlon's essay on the attacks, "The Resilient City" concluded the anthology Empire City: New York through the Centuries and won acclaim as "the single best essay written in the wake of 9/11."

Avlon has appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, PBS, and C-Span. He has spoken at the Kennedy School of Government, the Citadel, the State Department's visiting journalist program, and civic organizations around the nation.

In a profile, author Stephen Marshall wrote "Avlon talks about politics the way ESPN anchors wrap up sports highlights." Columnist Kathleen Parker wrote, "Americans who are fed up with the Ann Coulter/Michael Moore school of debate and are looking for someone to articulate a commonsense, middle path, may have found their voice in John Avlon."

He is married to Margaret Hoover and they live in New York City.

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Also, do check out his articles on The Daily Beast, and including his piece on the Massachusets Election last week.

Also, John mentioned he'd be happy to touch on, in addition to his normal speech topics, Florida's Independents as well as the Election last week in Massachusets, as you requested.