The Commentary Magazine Podcast
1,472 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 14 hours ago - ★★★★★ - 3.9K ratingsCommentary is America's premier monthly magazine of opinion: General, yet Jewish. Highly variegated, with a unifying perspective.
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Episodes
The Wrong Way to Deal with Facebook
October 06, 2021 17:49 - 58 minutes - 53.2 MBToday’s podcast takes up the charges of the Facebook whistleblower and asks whether her perspective is the right one or whether she misunderstands the nature of Facebook’s challenge to American society. And what exactly are Democrats up to when it comes to raising the debt ceiling? Give a listen. Source
When Crime Gets Close to You
October 05, 2021 14:08 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBThe podcasters today consider crime up close and personal—yesterday I was in proximity to four different acts of violence and another was nearly burglarized. Is there a larger meaning to these actions? Do they connect somehow to the president’s seeming acceptance of the harassment of Kyrsten Sinema? And how are we to understand them in light of the Justice Department’s decision to focus on... Source
Wait, Why Are They Saying It's Good They Failed?
October 04, 2021 14:16 - 1 hour - 56.5 MBThe podcast crew expresses puzzlement at the Democratic party spin that the failure of both big spending bills this weekend needs to be viewed as some kind of ideological and partisan triumph. Why? How? What on earth is going on here? And why is Anthony Fauci threatening Christmas? Give a listen. Source
Losing Is Winning, Spending Costs Nothing—and Other Liberal Delusions
October 01, 2021 14:16 - 1 hour - 55 MBToday’s podcast notes that liberal opinion seems determined to cast the left’s refusal to spend $1 trillion because it wants to spend $4.5 trillion as some kind of victory—and asks whether that makes any sense. Give a listen. Source
Progressive Failure Is Manchin's Success
September 30, 2021 15:24 - 1 hour - 66.4 MBToday’s podcast explains why Joe Manchin will never, ever, ever, ever do anything near what the progressives in his party want—because it would be the end of him and he wants to remain his state’s dominant politician. We also discuss the finger-pointing among Bidenites about the Afghanistan disaster, whether it’s OK to desire the political failure of your adversaries, and why we’re no longer... Source
Are Politicians Lying More?
September 29, 2021 14:48 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBThe revelations yesterday that emerged from Congressional testimony featuring two top officials involved in the Afghanistan debacle reveal Joe Biden to be as mendacious as Donald Trump when it comes to matters of policy. Is this something new for the presidency or is this just more evidence that all politicians lie? And does that kind of lying have a corrosive effect on America’s social fabric? Source
We Need Our Own ‘Music Man’
September 28, 2021 16:36 - 51 minutes - 46.9 MBBetween rising crime rates and contradictory reporting on how the Afghanistan pullout failed so spectacularly, the COMMENTARY podcast could use what Donald Trump reportedly relied upon to calm him down: a “music man” who would soothe him with the score of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, “Cats.”... Source
Biden, AOC, Trollope, and the Tonys
September 27, 2021 15:35 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBToday’s podcast asks the question: What do America’s most famous leftist member of Congress and Anthony Trollope’s fictional 19th-century political character Phineas Finn have in common? Also: What’s more popular among Democrats, spending a mere trillion dollars or spending many trillions of dollars? And: Why didn’t the Tony Awards bestow their largesse on a Black Lives Matter play? Give a listen. Source
Constitutional Crisis, Shmonstitutional Crisis
September 24, 2021 16:33 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MBToday’s podcast takes up Robert Kagan’s much-discussed Washington Post piece claiming a Trump constitutional crisis is already upon us. Is it, though? Give a listen. Source
Should Republicans Pop the Popcorn?
September 23, 2021 16:01 - 48 minutes - 44.7 MBToday’s podcast asks whether the signs of Democratic crackup are so pronounced that those who oppose Biden and Company should just sit back and watch in amusement as their opposite numbers dissolve into acrimony and paralysis. Or is this bad for the country? And now that 75 percent of all Americans over 12 are at least partially vaccinated, why can’t we celebrate this achievement? Give a listen. Source
Suppressing Speech and Going After Israel
September 22, 2021 15:02 - 1 hour - 63.4 MBToday’s podcast points out the continuing scandal of the media’s and Big Tech’s efforts to suppress stories they don’t like—both about Hunter Biden and about China’s role in the promulgation of COVID—and what the practical consequences for them both may be. And then we get into the Democratic party’s courtship of political meltdown, shown in part by an effort to defund Israel’s anti-missile... Source
It's Not All About the Base
September 21, 2021 15:01 - 1 hour - 57.6 MBToday’s podcast asks why the Biden people immediately assumed horseback Border patrol officers trying to deal with the overwhelming problems in Texas were doing wrong, and what it says about the administration’s desperate efforts to hold on to its progressive base. Give a listen. Source
Biden's Cascade of Bad News
September 20, 2021 15:41 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBToday’s podcast takes up Biden’s horrid Friday afternoon, with three bad pieces of news in an hour—and the coming crisis within the Democratic party over its ambitions to pass more than $5 trillion in spending in a month. Give a listen. Source
The Lost Thread
September 18, 2021 02:00 - 1 hour - 67.5 MBToday's podcast looks at the increasing Republican-conservative tendency to support the actions of the mob on January 6, the consequences therefrom—and asks whether Peggy Noonan's provocative column today in the Wall Street Journal is right that America has somehow "lost the thread." Give a listen.
The Other Insurrection
September 15, 2021 14:20 - 54 minutes - 49.7 MBCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom easily survives the effort to recall him from office. Are there lessons for Republicans ahead of the 2022 midterms here? Also, the revelations in a forthcoming book that Gen. Mark Milley conducted his own foreign policy and violated the chain of command under Donald Trump.
Somewhere Over the Horizon, Lies Are Told
September 14, 2021 18:21 - 57 minutes - 53.1 MBToday's podcast takes up the dishonesties of Secretary of State Blinken, the self-discrediting idea of "over the horizon" intelligence, fake polls supporting a president whose poll numbers have gotten very bad, and a horrible and instructive event at Barnard College involving observant Jews being told to violate the tenets of their faith to fill out a COVID form. Give a listen.
Can the Damage Be Undone?
September 13, 2021 15:47 - 59 minutes - 54.4 MBIn the wake of a somber 9/11 anniversary, the COMMENTARY podcast surveys the depressing intellectual and political landscape that typifies American discourse. Is the reaction against classical Western liberalism reversible? The “crushing morosity” is thick in this episode.
Biden's Neurotic Pitch and the 9/11 Anniversary
September 10, 2021 15:22 - 1 hour - 57.3 MBToday's podcast takes up Joe Biden's COVID speech and plans and asks how we are to understand a president who says you have nothing to fear if you're vaccinated but he's going to protect you from the unvaccinated. And we discuss the enduring impact of 9/11. Give a listen.
Solving the Hostage Crisis You Started
September 09, 2021 16:13 - 56 minutes - 51.5 MBWe're back after the Labor Day and Rosh Hashanah break to discuss the Biden administration's negotiations with terrorists and the praise it's getting for doing so; the fact that Biden is now trying to put us on a war footing against COVID; and the Biden team's effort to change the plotline of the last month by firing Trump officials. And what is going on with Trump and boxing? Give a listen.
The Bad News Bidens
September 03, 2021 15:33 - 57 minutes - 53.1 MBToday's podcast deals with the onslaught of lousy headlines and developments surrounding the president, from horrible jobs numbers to Delta fatalities to polls showing a significant decline in his support. Why is this happening? Give a listen.
Abortion Comes Roaring to the Fore
September 02, 2021 18:06 - 59 minutes - 54.2 MBToday's podcast takes up the Supreme Court's refusal to stay Texas's new restrictive abortion law and asks whether its existence heralds the beginning of a grassroots liberal movement on par with the grassroots conservative movement that arose when the Court made abortion a constitutional right nearly half a century ago. And, yes, more on Afghanistan. Give a listen.
Joe Biden's Disgraceful Speech
September 01, 2021 13:43 - 52 minutes - 48.3 MBToday's podcast takes a long, hard, close, serious, and polemical look at Joe Biden's self-justifying address to the American people on the Afghan catastrophe. Give a listen.
Philip Larkin and the End of the Afghan War
August 31, 2021 15:38 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MBToday's podcast is about consequences: Who deserves to be held responsible for the debacle in Afghanistan and why. Give a listen.
No, We Weren't There to Bring Democracy
August 30, 2021 15:20 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBToday's podcast tries again to take up the ludicrous argument that our purpose in Afghanistan was to install a liberal democracy. We also talk about the labor shortage and the end of the eviction moratorium. And are movie theaters too loud? Give a listen.
Biden Fails to Meet the Measure of the Moment
August 27, 2021 12:49 - 1 hour - 57.5 MBOn Thursday, at least 13 Americans and over 100 Afghan civilians were killed in two suicide attacks on the outskirts of Kabul’s international airport. The response to that event by Joe Biden and his administration wholly failed to meet the gravity of the circumstances with which they are confronted.
The Price of Dishonor
August 26, 2021 14:37 - 1 hour - 60.4 MBThe whole crew is back together to discuss an inadvertently telling op-ed by Ezra Klein that defends the dishonorable behavior of the United States in the present moment by falsely characterizing the entire past twenty years and the purposes of the fight in Afghanistan, among other places. And we discuss whether liberals have entirely lost the thread of their connection to ordinary Americans. Give a listen.
The Democrats’ Crumbling Legacy
August 25, 2021 15:20 - 47 minutes - 43.1 MBBetween the debacle in Afghanistan, the return of pandemic-related pessimism, and what Nancy Pelosi admitted was the “controversial” $3.5 trillion budget deal that may not even pass the Senate in its current iteration, what are Democrats leaving behind? It may not be much after voters get their say next November.
Hostages Abroad and Hostage at Home
August 24, 2021 11:50 - 57 minutes - 52.9 MBAuthor and editor emeritus of The Daily Wire, Ben Shapiro, joins the podcast today to talk about the ongoing nightmare in Afghanistan, which is evolving from a debacle into a hostage crisis. But Americans get no respite at home as COVID has evolved from a pandemic into a lifestyle brand.
The Afghanistan Pullout Fallout Settles on the Biden White House
August 23, 2021 18:23 - 57 minutes - 52.8 MBJohn Podhoretz is out today enjoying some well-deserved time away from the microphone. The nightmare in Afghanistan continued over the weekend and, despite the administration’s outward displays of confidence, the prospects for a disaster loom larger than ever. But will the emerging domestic political crisis over our disastrous pullout evolve into something that threatens to derail the Democratic... Source
What’s Wrong with the President?
August 20, 2021 14:12 - 55 minutes - 50.6 MBJoe Biden’s behavior over the course of the Afghanistan crisis he precipitated is inexplicable. But we do our best to try to explain it anyway. Also, is there anything to be done about the increasingly deadly pandemic of the unvaccinated?
Biden's Horrible Interview
August 19, 2021 13:38 - 1 hour - 57 MBToday's podcast considers George Stephanopoulos's jaw-dropping interview with the president and his assertions that he knew the chaos in Afghanistan was coming. We also wonder at the words of Joint Chiefs Chair Mark Milley and Defense Secretary Austin and at the COVID behavior of New Zealand prime minister Ardern. Give a listen.
'You Chose Dishonor and You Shall Have War'
August 18, 2021 14:33 - 59 minutes - 54 MBToday's podcast wonders at the bet Joe Biden has placed on the possibility that the chaos in Afghanistan relating to the exit of Americans will be short-lived and that he will suffer no long-term consequences from it. Is that bet likely to pay off? Give a listen.
Pessimism Abroad, Optimism at Home
August 17, 2021 14:26 - 49 minutes - 45.1 MBThe founding editor of National Affairs, Yuval Levin, joins the podcast today to talk about the implosion of Afghanistan and Joe Biden’s shame as well as his article in the September issue of Commentary: “What We Have Gotten Right in the COVID Fight.”
The Fall of Afghanistan
August 16, 2021 14:32 - 56 minutes - 51.9 MBThe Afghan government has fallen to the Taliban, and only over the course of a single weekend. The Commentary podcast on the terrible implications of America’s humiliation in Central Asia.
Decline Is a Choice, and We’ve Chosen It
August 13, 2021 14:55 - 44 minutes - 40.7 MBBloomberg columnist Eli Lake joins the program today to talk about America’s decision to scrap 20 years of work and progress in Afghanistan. Why it didn’t have to be this way, and what comes next for the United States.
Does the Squad Want to Sink the Biden Presidency?
August 12, 2021 14:26 - 53 minutes - 49.2 MBWill the so-called “Squad” of House progressives really want to block the Biden administration’s signature achievement, infrastructure, if they can’t get their $3.5 trillion wish list along with it? Also, perplexing COVID numbers and the spiraling disaster in Afghanistan.
Does Cuomo Have a Scheme?
August 11, 2021 13:52 - 58 minutes - 53.1 MBToday's podcast brings up the question: Why did Andrew Cuomo date his resignation fourteen days away? What is this Machiavellian schemer up to? And as the infrastructure bill passes the Senate, what will Nancy Pelosi do in the House—and is she any good at her job? And why, oh why, do the data on the Delta variant simply not suggest what the COVID hawks want them to suggest? Give a listen.
EMERGENCY PODCAST: Cuomo Resigns!
August 10, 2021 19:14 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MBWe've reconvened today to offer our quick thoughts on the resignation of Andrew Cuomo, the bipartisan nature of sex scandals, the way people try to save themselves from disgrace, and what happens now. Give a listen.
You Say You Want a Revolution?
August 10, 2021 14:25 - 52 minutes - 48.3 MBDemocrats are placing a big bet on the American voting public’s desire for a radical transformation of the social compact with their $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. The risk seems far more pronounced than the rewards. Also, Andrew Cuomo seems to be the only person in America who doesn’t know he’s done.
The Belle Tolls for Andrew Cuomo
August 09, 2021 14:01 - 1 hour - 58.4 MBToday's podcast takes up the desertion of Andrew Cuomo by his closest aide, the unfolding horror in Afghanistan as America bugs out, and the COVID panic. Give a listen.
All Culture, No Punditry!
August 06, 2021 15:55 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MBToday's surprising podcast doesn't feature the news of the day; instead, we talk about Smokey and the Bandit. And Last Exit to Brooklyn. And 42nd Street. And For All Mankind. And a Woodstock documentary. It's a weird show! Give a listen.
Do Unconstitutional Things, Mr. President! That's a Squad Order!
August 05, 2021 14:38 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBToday's podcast takes up the glee with which Democratic legislators greeted Joe Biden's decision to...usurp legislative authority. What's going on here? And what will happen with Andrew Cuomo? And why are we talking about the COVID threat posed by the Sturgis bike rally again? Give a listen.
The Psychopathy of Andrew Cuomo
August 04, 2021 13:55 - 1 hour - 60.9 MBKarol Markowicz joins us today to discuss the damning report on Andrew Cuomo's behavior toward women, the meaning of the victory of the less radical candidate in an Ohio Democratic primary, and the Biden administration's open embrace of unconstitutional lawlessness with its continuance of the rental moratorium. Give a listen.
Why the Elite Want You to Panic This Time
August 03, 2021 15:40 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBJames B. Meigs joins the podcast today to talk about, what else, the bizarre behavior of the CDC in relation to the pandemic. And we have a fun argument about the question of mandating vaccination passes. Give a listen.
The Lunatics Running the COVID Asylum
August 02, 2021 15:18 - 1 hour - 56.6 MBToday's podcast is a threnody of denunciation: Of the CDC, of the Biden administration's haplessness, and of the seemingly deliberate disinformation regarding the Delta variant in the New York Times and on CBS News, among many other places. Plus: Will Democratic leftists kill the infrastructure bill? And how delusional was the Biden negotiating team when it came to dealing with the Iranians on the Iran nuclear deal? Matt Continetti joins us. Give a listen.
The CDC Continues to Confuse Us
July 30, 2021 15:19 - 56 minutes - 49.1 MBToday's podcast offers a Talmudic perusal of a slide show created by the CDC on how to talk about the vaccines that evidently was the trigger for the new mask guidance—and how it contradicts itself and sows even more confusion and therefore mistrust. Give a listen.
Is the Spending the Problem?
July 29, 2021 14:01 - 57 minutes - 52.5 MBThere is a bipartisan infrastructure deal, and it looks likely to pass. The smorgasbord of other progressive wish list items that was supposed to follow its passage, however, is more imperiled than ever. Couple this with a disappointing second-quarter GDP number, and you have to wonder if the government spending to which we’ve committed ourselves over the course of the pandemic is the problem. Source
The Awfulness of the New COVID Mandates
July 28, 2021 16:45 - 1 hour - 60 MBToday’s podcast takes up the fulfillment of what we’ve been warning against—the public-health people are lowering the boom again in a self-defeating effort to control the spread of the COVID variant by controlling the behavior of… the already vaccinated. We take apart the reasons proffered by the CDC director for this bizarre guidance. Then we talk about the shame of the attacks on the Capitol... Source
The Anti-Patriotic Olympics
July 27, 2021 15:52 - 57 minutes - 52.8 MBAmerican athletes are having a tough time at the Olympics. On today’s podcast, we suggest various causes, among them that there is no longer a psychic benefit to be gleaned from representing your country in these games. We also wonder at the competency of American politicians and the potential horrors awaiting Afghanistan as we pull out. Give a listen. Source
They Want Emergency Powers Permanently
July 26, 2021 15:00 - 1 hour - 59.8 MBAs the pressure grows to return America to a condition of mini-lockdown, we examine the words and ideas of the public-health bureaucracy that is horrified by the prospect of America just…governing itself. Plus: transgender athletes and Jackie Mason. Give a listen. Source