The Commentary Magazine Podcast
1,462 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 days ago - ★★★★★ - 3.9K ratingsCommentary is America's premier monthly magazine of opinion: General, yet Jewish. Highly variegated, with a unifying perspective.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Trump's Abortion Buzzsaw
April 09, 2024 13:17 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBDid Donald Trump help or hurt his chances in November with his statement yesterday that he did not want federal action on abortion? Did Joe Biden help or hurt his chances in November by announcing a new effort to pay off student-loan debt? Did Wolodymyr Zelensky help or hurt his nation's future by saying Ukraine would lose the war if the American aid package stalled in the House didn't pass? Did Bibi Netanyahu help or hurt his nation by acceding to Joe Biden's demands over the weekend and the...
A Dark New Reality
April 08, 2024 14:37 - 1 hour - 55.6 MBToday's podcast tries to make sense out of the Biden administration's now-undeniable harsh turn against Israel and the incomprehensible behavior of the Israeli government over the last 48 hours in relation to the war in Gaza, the negotiations over the hostages, and the threat from Hezbollah. Give a listen.
Biden Makes Israel the Bad Guy
April 05, 2024 13:21 - 1 hour - 57.5 MBToday's podcast reels in horror from the administration response to the tragic errors that led to the Israeli attack on a food convoy and how it represents what may be the final turn of the Bidenites against the war effort to extirpate Hamas. Give a listen.
Biden's Incoherence Exposed
April 04, 2024 15:09 - 1 hour - 56.3 MBToday we talk about the increasing failure of Joe Biden's contradictory position on Israel. He's now all but accused Israel of a war crime but will continue to supply it with weapons of war. Israel's supporters are fed up with his rhetoric and Israel-haters are fed up with his policy. Moreover, his incoherence is inviting Iranian aggression. We also discuss the unique success of NATO as it turns 75 and what Mike Johnson may or not do to push Ukraine aid. Give a listen.
The Israel Pile-On
April 03, 2024 15:15 - 1 hour - 65.7 MBToday's podcast takes up the question of the Biden administration's problematic response to the tragic strike on a food aid convoy in Gaza—something for which Israel took immediate responsibility and for which it apologized wholeheartedly at the highest levels with little effect on the condemnations that continue to pour on its head. Meanwhile, Biden's polling continues to suggest a loss in November with no changes in strategy from Biden or his people. Give a listen.
The Unforgivable and the Forgivable
April 02, 2024 14:14 - 1 hour - 55 MBToday we discuss unforgivable acts of Jew-hatred—including a riot outside a synagogue where money was being raised to help a Jewish burial society—and forgivable tragic events that occur during war. There is a difference. A big difference. Also, a beautiful statement by a grieving Israeli father and Donald Trump's very good day in and out of court. Give a listen.
Why the Delay on Rafah?
April 01, 2024 14:33 - 59 minutes - 54.8 MBToday Jonathan Schanzer joins the podcast to talk about what's been going on in public and behind the scenes between American and Israeli officials regarding a ground operation in Rafah. How much longer can Israel afford to wait? And what can we learn from the drone attack on an Israeli naval base over the weekend? But first we discuss the White House's declaring Easter Sunday Transgender Day of Visibility. Give a listen.
No Excuses for Sam Bankman-Fried
March 29, 2024 12:41 - 1 hour - 55.5 MBToday's podcast takes up the 25 year sentence for the $8 billion fraud committed by "effective altruist" Sam Bankman-Fried, and what his law-professor mother's effort to excuse away his criminal conduct tells us about the mindset of the leftist elite. Give a listen.
The Lieberman Legacy
March 28, 2024 14:54 - 53 minutes - 49 MBToday's podcast pays tribute to the life, times, and political wisdom of Joe Lieberman, who died yesterday at the age of 82. What was so special about him and why are we unlikely to see his style of politics and political interaction at work in American public life any time soon? Give a listen.
Bridge Over Troubled Nation
March 27, 2024 13:48 - 1 hour - 60.4 MBToday's podcast talks about how the bridge collapse in Maryland may accelerate the trust crisis in the country, already accelerating because nobody really knows or understands the condition and strength of the president of the United States. Give a listen.
The Biden Turn
March 26, 2024 14:01 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBEli Lake joins the podcast to discuss the American abstention from yesterday's UN Security Council ceasefire resolution. Why is the Biden administration saying the policy hasn't changed when the policy has changed? Who exactly is being gaslit and how does this make an Israeli operation in Rafah any less likely? We also talk about the rise in violent crime and how it relates to the larger sense of unraveling. Give a listen.
The No-Congressional-Body Problem
March 25, 2024 13:44 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBToday's podcast considers the terrorist attack in Russia and what it means for the war in Ukraine—and what the chaos in Congress means for the war in Ukraine as well. Also, lesson #257 in what happens if you try to get a job in mainstream media when you're on the right, and what the new Netflix show Three-Body Problem might tell us about our coming debt cliff. Give a listen.
The Pursuit of Happiness
March 22, 2024 12:01 - 1 hour - 57.5 MBToday we start out discussing a new Pew poll that shows, contra Chuck Schumer and others, American Jews overwhelmingly approve of Israel and its efforts to defeat Hamas since Oct. 7. We then get into the latest World Happiness Report, which finds the U.S. ranking below the 20 most happy countries for the first time in the report's history. What's behind our recent unhappiness and why are Americans under 30 most unhappy of all? Give a listen.
The Stakes in Gaza
March 21, 2024 14:35 - 56 minutes - 51.4 MBToday's podcast takes up a conversation between Israeli official Ron Dermer and our friend Dan Senor in which Dermer says a failure to secure victory in Gaza means Israel "has no future." Might this be true also of Jewry itself—especially due to the Jews who are now blaming Israel for their feeling of a lack of safety in the West? Give a listen.
An Anniversary of Sorts
March 20, 2024 13:58 - 1 hour - 61.1 MBToday we note that it was just about four years ago that this podcast went daily, and we consider the lasting impact of the pandemic and the prospects of a political reckoning. But before that, we get into the significance of Bernie Moreno's primary win in Ohio and Donald Trump's inability to make bond. We close on a discussion of Joe Biden's Israel policy and the forgotten goal of war: victory. Give a listen.
The Biden Breakdown and the Middle Class
March 19, 2024 14:14 - 1 hour - 64 MBToday's podcast begins with the Biden administration's increasing schizophrenia on the Gaza war and then proceeds to a powerful discussion of the elite war on the American middle class, based on our own Christine Rosen's landmark article in the current edition of COMMENTARY. Give a listen.
Bloodbathing
March 18, 2024 14:04 - 51 minutes - 47.6 MBToday's podcast takes up the weekend kerfuffle over Donald Trump's use of the word "bloodbath" and how quickly his opponents in the media and elsewhere rose in horror at a word they themselves used just a week ago to describe the firing of staffers at the Republican National Committee, for example. What's going on here? And what about the continued fallout from Chuck Schumer's strange speech last week calling for Israel to depose Bibi Netanyahu? Give a listen.
Ground Chuck
March 15, 2024 13:27 - 1 hour - 69 MBDan Senor joins the podcast to discuss the politics behind Chuck Schumer's dumbfounding speech calling for the deposition of Benjamin Netanyahu. What does it tell us about Democratic party politics and Israel's standing with the party Jews have historically supported by huge margins? Give a listen.
The TikTok Political Earthquake
March 14, 2024 11:04 - 1 hour - 57.4 MBJames B. Meigs, our tech columnist, comes on to discuss the amazing rapidity with which a bipartisan coalition formed around the idea of forcing the Chinese-Communist company Bytedance to divest itself of TikTok. Who says the parties can't work together? But why did they manage to work together so easily this time? Give a listen.
And Now, the Threat from the North
March 13, 2024 14:51 - 1 hour - 58.8 MBJonathan Schanzer joins the podcast to note how, just in the last week, things have been heating up between Israel and Hezbollah on the northern border of the Jewish state. We also discuss the peculiarities of the Biden administration's approach to Israel finishing the job in Gaza—and whether there might be a weird Egyptian component at work. Give a listen.
Is Trump Being Railroaded?
March 12, 2024 14:12 - 1 hour - 67.9 MBAndrew C. McCarthy joins the podcast today to talk about how the prosecutions of Donald Trump may be violating critical Constitutional and procedural protections for defendants who stand accused of crimes before the bar—and why that matters. Give a listen.
Joe Balaam
March 11, 2024 14:52 - 1 hour - 60.4 MBEli Lake joins today's podcast to discuss the world's now-most-prominent "AsAJew," the writer-director Jonathan Glazer, who "refuted" his "Jewishness" on the Oscar podcast on Sunday night. What did he mean? And what does what he said reveal about the nature of progressive Jewry and the fact they elevate their own self-infatuated politics over the safety and history of the Jewish people? Then we turn to the continuing mystery of Joe Biden clearly wanting to separate himself from Israel but the...
So He Did OK!
March 08, 2024 14:25 - 53 minutes - 48.6 MBChris Stirewalt joins us for our State of the Union recap, including the "how do you build a pier and a road without having someone on the other side to sink in the pylons" and other thrilling topics raised by a substantively wretched but performatively successful presidential address. Give a listen.
Biden, Israel, and the SOTU
March 07, 2024 16:00 - 57 minutes - 52.4 MBRuthie Blum joins the podcast from Israel to discuss the Biden administration's rough treatment of Benny Gantz, ceasefire negotiations, Bibi's political future, Israeli public opinion, and what's holding up the Rafah offensive. Also, what is Joe Biden going to say about Israel in tonight's State of the Union address? Give a listen.
Not-So-Super Wednesday
March 06, 2024 15:15 - 1 hour - 61.4 MBThe podcast takes up the Super Tuesday results—the beginning of the Palmer era in American Samoa! No, seriously, the national race begins today and Biden is behind and, we speculate, maybe he ought to toughen up his stance on Israel and Gaza. No, not by turning on Israel, but by championing Israel and letting it win. Also, the GOP veepstakes! Give a listen.
SCOTUS, Trump, and the War on the Jews
March 05, 2024 15:37 - 1 hour - 58 MBAdam White joins us to discuss the Supreme Court's seemingly authoritative (9-0!) and confusing (5-4) ruling that willl prevent any efforts to keep Donald Trump off the ballot this year. What's with the confusion? And we delineate the 20 year campus war on Jews and how the chickens are now coming home to roost as these college administrators face the wrath of the victims. Give a listen.
Did Kamala Turn on Israel?
March 04, 2024 15:27 - 56 minutes - 51.4 MBToday we take up the very confusing statement by Kamala Harris yesterday that the media are treating as a change in administration policy with its seeming call for an immediate ceasefire. The problem is that while Harris surely wanted the headlines she's getting, the policy itself was not changed by her words at all. Then again, who can tell what is going on in an administration whose head is now viewed by a significant majority of the American people as incapable of actually being president?...
Men at Work
March 01, 2024 14:59 - 1 hour - 72.9 MBToday David Bahnsen joins the podcast and we talk about the aid-convoy stampede in Gaza, the career of Mitch McConnell, and finally David's new book, Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life. How have we come to such a poor understanding of the meaning of work? And what are the sources and consequences of today's anti-work movement? Give a listen.
Are We Overreading Primary Results?
February 29, 2024 15:47 - 58 minutes - 53.2 MBSteve Kornacki joins the podcast to explain how we might be reading too much into Nikki Haley's support in Republican primaries, and he breaks down the difference between voters in the those primaries and Republican voters generally. We also get into Republican gains among Hispanics, the continued partisan sorting of Americans, the fluidity of political coalitions, and more. Give a listen.
Who's Afraid of the 'Uncommitted'?
February 28, 2024 14:55 - 59 minutes - 54.5 MBToday we take up the puny results of Michigan's "Uncommitted" campaign against Joe Biden and his handling of the war in Gaza. Is a 13 percent protest vote what had the Biden camp so rattled? Maybe it's time the administration peeks outside the bubble and takes a look at American popular opinion on Israel. Give a listen.
It's Almost Government Shutdown Time
February 27, 2024 15:54 - 57 minutes - 52.7 MBYuval Levin joins us to talk about how, on Friday, a quarter of the government is going to shut down and a week from Friday, the rest of it will—barring a deal between Congress and the president no one seems to be negotiating. As Joe Biden wants to run against a do-nothing Congress, is this a gift to him? And why are people celebrating suicide on social media? Give a listen.
Trump's Got Some Trouble
February 26, 2024 15:22 - 1 hour - 64.1 MBHenry Olsen, election-watcher extraordinaire, joins us today to analyze the results of the interesting South Carolina primary and the fact that across three Republican primary contests, Donald Trump is winning decisively, even overwhelmingly—but with around 40 percent of the primary electorate choosing someone else (mostly Nikki Haley). What does this portend for November? Give a listen.
Two Years of Putin's Monstrous War
February 23, 2024 15:06 - 1 hour - 67.4 MBToday's podcast points out that, as we move into the third year of Russia's effort to swallow up Ukraine whole, the great dysfunction seems not to be taking place in Ukraine, or Russia, or on the battlefield, but inside the American political process—with majorities supporting aid to Ukraine but the House unwilling to allow a vote. Can this stand? What is going on? And what is going on with AI? Give a listen.
Can We Trust 'Confidential Sources'?
February 22, 2024 14:26 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBEli Lake joins us today to discuss the bomb dropped in the middle of the Joe/Hunter/Jim Biden investigation with the indictment and arrest of a confidential source who alleged direct payments to the Bidens around $10 million. Does this kill the case? And what about the Squad's electoral hopes in the wake of October 7? Give a listen.
What Is Nikki Haley Up To?
February 21, 2024 15:44 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBThe podcast today takes note of Nikki Haley's interesting announcement that she will be staying in the GOP race until she is mathematically eliminated. What's the purpose of such a move and what does it reveal about the relative strength and power of Donald Trump in the race? Is she exposing an underbelly just at the moment when Trump is liable for $87,500 a day in fine money he has to pay? And what about this poll showing Trump winning with Jews in New York? Give a listen.
Will Navalny's Death Change Things?
February 20, 2024 15:34 - 1 hour - 64.8 MBToday's podcast asks what the practical effect of the murder of Alexei Navalny might have on the general debate over how to handle Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine. Then we go into the judgment against Donald Trump in a New York courtroom and whether Joe Biden is turning on Israel at the UN. Give a listen.
The Cross of Gould
February 16, 2024 12:05 - 1 hour - 69.3 MBAn essay in New York Magazine that tells the story of a 40something writer and the mental breakdown that leads her to want to divorce her husband tells the entire story of 21st century elite and pop culture singlehandedly. It's called "The Lure of Divorce," and we devote most of the podcast today to explaining its inadvertent importance as a cultural document that defines our time. Give a listen.
Space, Gaza, and Lina Khan
February 15, 2024 15:02 - 57 minutes - 53 MBAdam White joins today to discuss his article "The Power Broke Her," about the powerful Washington bureaucrat Lina Khan and her agenda. We begin, though, with the alarming word of an undefined national security threat and the fact that conventional opinion now seems obsessed with denying Israel a victory in its war on Hamas. Give a listen.
The Rs Lose a Seat
February 14, 2024 15:30 - 1 hour - 63.9 MBThe special election in New York not only went to Democrat Tom Suozzi—he also won by eight points. We debate whether this means Republican hopes for immigration as a killer issue for them might be problematic, and whether the behavior of the Republican House these past two weeks is giving Democrats a serious chance of putting meat on the bones of running against the "do-nothing GOP." Give a listen.
America the Evil Dad?
February 13, 2024 15:12 - 1 hour - 60.1 MBTucker Carlson went to a conference in a Mideast oil city and announced that America was the dad of the world and was perpetuating evil the way a dad would if he took sides in a fight between his children. We ask some questions about this bizarre notion of proper parenting before raising more questions about what it says in relation to the rising New Right and its attitudes about this country. Give a listen.
Superbowling for Dollars
February 12, 2024 15:42 - 59 minutes - 54.6 MBWas the RFK Jr. Super Bowl ad good or bad? Was the game good or bad? Was Biden's effort to get himself into the news on Super Bowl Sunday without being interviewed good or bad? Is the polling for the Squad good or bad? Was what Trump said about NATO and Nikki Haley's husband good or bad? Give a listen.
Biden and the Roosting Chickens
February 09, 2024 15:43 - 1 hour - 72.3 MBToday's podcast examines the consuming disaster that was Biden's day yesterday and what on earth will happen going forward. Can he stay on the ticket? Will someone in his ambit bring up the 25th amendment? Will Democratic enthusiasm begin to resemble a flatline? And why did he throw Israel under the bus? Give a listen.
The COVID Reckoning Needs to Happen
February 08, 2024 15:53 - 1 hour - 62.1 MBJames B. Meigs joins the podcast today to discuss new revelations about the possible cover-up of the origins of COVID and the role of leading figures in politics and science who participated in it. And we lament the Secretary of State's words in Israel. Give a listen.
Republican Chaos: Who Benefits
February 07, 2024 15:30 - 1 hour - 58.6 MBWell, that was quite a day for House Republicans, losing two votes in 15 minutes the chamber's leaders didn't seem to know they were going to lose. What does this portend? Will this help Biden—or will the image of a dysfunctional Washington help Trump? And how about that trip to the Middle East with Secretary of State Blinken getting his hat handed to him by Saudi Arabia? Give a listen.
This Is Not a Cheerful Podcast Today
February 06, 2024 17:19 - 1 hour - 64.1 MBThe collapse of the border deal that Republicans negotiated and then killed themselves; the trouble now with aid to Ukraine and Israel; and a general sense that things simply don't work in American politics any longer—these are what we discuss today. Give a listen.
Biden's Horrible, Horrible Poll
February 05, 2024 15:19 - 1 hour - 60.2 MBToday's podcast takes up the NBC News poll that shows Biden not only losing to Trump, but with only 23 percent of Americans saying he has the mental and/or physical stamina to be president. Yikes. How will this affect the discussions over the Senate's version of a new bill dealing with the border crisis? Give a listen.
Is Biden Getting the Economy He Wants?
February 02, 2024 16:27 - 1 hour - 59.8 MBToday's podcast looks at some very good economic statistics on job and wage growth and wonders whether fortune is favoring the president and his chances in November. Then again, what about the fact he said he was going to strike in response to the deaths of Americans in Jordan and hasn't done so? Also, the Commentary Podcast Mailbag! Give a listen.
Taylor, Travis, and the Totalitarians
February 01, 2024 15:26 - 1 hour - 66 MBToday's podcast looks at the relationship between superstars Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce and expresses both annoyance at their omnipresence and disgust at the effort by MAGA to turn their relationship into something pernicious and evil. And speaking of pernicious, what about the latest American "peace plan" as laid out by Thomas "I Talked to a Cab Driver" Friedman? Give a listen.
They're Still Coming After Us
January 31, 2024 15:47 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBToday's podcast discusses the beating of a Chabad rabbi by a ride-share driver in DC and what it suggests about the spate of violent acts against Jews after 10/7, how this might tie into the border issue, and Congressional races in which this kind of thing will play a role. Give a listen.
UNRWA Uncovered
January 30, 2024 16:05 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBToday we get into the growing UNRWA scandal and how it exposes the deep, structural absurdities of the agency's very existence. We also talk about the American elite's twisted view of U.S.-Israeli relations and whether Joe Biden should pay attention to younger Americans who oppose his support for Israel. Give a listen.