The Commentary Magazine Podcast
1,462 episodes - English - Latest episode: 16 days 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
Biden's Choices on Iran
January 29, 2024 15:39 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBToday's podcast worries over Joe Biden's next steps relating to Iran and its proxies attacking Americans in the Middle East and the temptation to do just a little bit and not a lot to respond, which will only make things worse. It's even more puzzling given how vulnerable Biden is in an election year against Donald Trump on this issue because Trump can favorably contrast his record on Iran with Biden's in a way Biden will be hard-pressed to counter. Give a listen.
Trying to Stop the Game
January 26, 2024 14:11 - 1 hour - 60.3 MBToday's podcast discusses all the efforts to end things in DC—negotiations over border legislation, the Nikki Haley campaign, the process by which the Republican Party functions—and why everybody who's working to stop things might be acting in a short-sighted and self-destructive manner. Give a listen.
The Deals Aren't Happening
January 25, 2024 14:21 - 57 minutes - 53 MBToday's podcast looks at the peril to Ukraine and Israel aid now that the Republicans in the Senate are turning away from any kind of deal with Joe Biden on the border. Does this give Biden a talking point on the border against Trump? And where exactly is there an argument against Ukraine aid that isn't disingenuous? Give a listen.
What's Nikki's Plan?
January 24, 2024 15:51 - 1 hour - 61.3 MBEliana Johnson joins the podcast to discuss the strange triumphalism of Nikki Haley's loser speech last night in New Hampshire and the strange negativity of Donald Trump's winner speech a few hours later. Does this portend a season in which Haley exposes Trump's flaws as she continues her run? Give a listen.
Most Interesting Political Year Ever?
January 23, 2024 15:35 - 58 minutes - 54 MBWith the Republican contest all but over and almost ten months to go to the election, there are so many variable possibilities for 2024 it's impossible to game them out. Could this be the most interesting year ever? Give a listen.
Ron Runs Away
January 22, 2024 15:40 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBChris Stirewalt joins the podcast to talk about the DeSantis departure from the race, whether Ron is angling for veep, and the composition of the two parties over the past 20 years. Also, Harvard goes pernicious yet again. Give a listen.
The Terrible Views of the Elites
January 19, 2024 15:20 - 1 hour - 63.6 MBToday's podcast looks at a stunning new poll of the attitudes of Americans who earn more than $150,000 a year, have a graduate degree, and live in in densely populated areas. Those attitudes are so profoundly in opposition to those of Americans who make less and have less education that they explain a great deal about the continuing strength of Donald Trump. Give a listen.
What Happened to Haley?
January 18, 2024 16:08 - 57 minutes - 52.4 MBToday we take up the news that Nikki Haley's most prominent endorser has announced that he expects her to come in second in New Hampshire. Is it over? It kinda feels like it. But this opens up a slim path for Ron DeSantis. We also discuss the Biden administration's wrongheaded foreign policy and wonder whether Joe Biden and Antony Blinken even mean what they say about a Palestinian state. Give a listen.
NH Next, With Steve Kornacki
January 17, 2024 15:43 - 1 hour - 60.9 MBPolitical savant nonpareil Steve Kornacki joins the podcast today to break down the Iowa results, look ahead to New Hampshire, and make recommendations about what to look for on Tuesday if you want to get a real sense of where this race (if it is a race) might be going. Give a listen.
OK, On to New Hampshire
January 16, 2024 15:58 - 1 hour - 61.6 MBToday's podcast wrestles with questions relating to Donald Trump's smashing victory in Iowa last night. Does the tiny number of caucusgoers represent anything? Does anyone have a path besides Trump now? Where do Bugs Bunny, Donald Duck, and the obscure movie Clockwise come in to the discussion? Give a listen.
Writing Israel Out of Judaism?
January 15, 2024 16:04 - 1 hour - 59.8 MBToday's podcast takes up a jaw-dropping New York Times article that asks how important, really, is Israel to the religion of Judaism. Yes, you read that right. Also, the Iowa caucuses are upon us, and it looks like the Republican coronation might be commencing. Give a listen.
The U.S. Strikes Back!
January 12, 2024 15:32 - 1 hour - 58.3 MBToday we discuss the American strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. Was it enough to deter terrorism in the Red Sea? What does it accomplish so long as the Biden administration continues to ignore the Iranian threat? We also take up the matter of American apologists for terrorism and propose a Biden-Trump debate. Give a listen.
Why Didn't They Just Not Run?
January 11, 2024 15:18 - 1 hour - 61.5 MBToday's podcast asks why Chris Christie ran in the first place, and come to think of it, why did DeSantis run when he clearly had people telling him he couldn't actually beat Trump by, you know, arguing he should be president and not Trump? And should Nikki Haley take up a second career as a tobacco auctioneer? Give a listen.
Trump: Deal with the Devil?
January 10, 2024 15:27 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBToday's podcast goes through some of Trump's legal shenanigans—and the apparent shenanigans of his Atlanta prosecutor, Fani Willis—and offers a new interpretation of his life and history. Clue: It's like Damn Yankees. Also, the first Commentary DisRecommends! Give a listen.
The Protesting-Crime Connection
January 09, 2024 14:57 - 1 hour - 57.6 MBToday's podcast finds a connection between the pro-Palestinian protests closing bridges and tunnels and inconveniencing hundreds of thousands of people and the kinds of petty shoplifting that make going to stores in urban centers more and more hellish. What's the connection? And why should kids take the SAT? Give a listen.
Biden Fizzles and Austin Vanishes
January 08, 2024 14:49 - 58 minutes - 53.2 MBToday's podcast points out the wet, limp noodle that was Joe Biden's supposedly "fiery" speech about democracy at Valley Forge before joining the world in wonder at the disappearance into a hospital by the Defense Secretary with the world on fire. Give a listen.
Biden Begins Goading Trump
January 05, 2024 15:29 - 55 minutes - 50.8 MBToday's podcast looks at the current state of the race on the day Joe Biden will deliver a speech on Donald Trump's threat to democracy, and we ask: Is Biden doing this to make sure Trump keeps talking about the supposedly stolen election, which is the subject Biden believes can propel him to a second term? Give a listen.
The Graves of Academe
January 04, 2024 15:53 - 1 hour - 59 MBToday's podcast takes up the appalling self-defense of the ousted Harvard president Claudine Gay in the New York Times before a discussion of the 2024 matchup and whether Al Gore should have run in 2004 the way Donald Trump is re-running in 2024. Give a listen.
Israel's Choices, Harvard's Corruptions
January 03, 2024 15:47 - 1 hour - 65.9 MBDan Senor joins today's podcast to talk about the major developments in Israel over the past few weeks—the assassination of a top Hamas terrorist in Lebanon and the Supreme Court's overturning of judicial reform there. Then we get to the larger meaning of Claudine Gay's resignation from Harvard. Give a listen.
We're Baaack!
January 02, 2024 15:12 - 58 minutes - 53.3 MBOn the first podcast of 2024, we discuss what is already the dumbest opinion piece of the year. And we catch up on the presidential race. How damaging was Nikki Haley's answer about the Civil War? How bad was Joe Biden's New Year's Eve appearance? How much did Maine's secretary of state help Donald Trump? Give a listen.
People of the Year, 2023
December 29, 2023 14:36 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBOn our final holiday week podcast, we choose the people we think represented 2023, in good ways and in very bad ways as well. From a heroic fighting man to a monstrous and foolish military leader, and others in between. Give a listen as you have a Happy New Year!
The Best TV of 2023
December 28, 2023 14:34 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MBToday's holiday week podcast offers our picks for the most interesting television offerings of the year, which include vampires, cannibals, pizza, comedians, zombies, and space explorers. Give a listen.
Our Picks in Books, 2023
December 27, 2023 10:46 - 29 minutes - 26.8 MBOn today's holiday-week short podcast we offer you our selection for the best or most meaningful books we've read in 2023, from a 1978 discourse on lying to an Israeli novel about American anti-Semitism to a book about American breakdown to the best play of the century—and a comedian's memoir. Give a listen.
Our End-of-Year Movie Picks
December 26, 2023 11:59 - 20 minutes - 18.5 MBThe first in a series of special shows this holiday week features the movies we thought the most about in 2023, some from 2023, some from earlier, and one from 2024! How does that work? Well, you gotta give a listen.
Revisionist Journalism
December 22, 2023 15:08 - 56 minutes - 51.3 MBToday we discuss how the Washington Post, New York Times, and other outlets are revising their coverage of established facts from the war in Gaza to be even more credulous toward Hamas than they've already been. And what do we make of Trump's Michigan phone call and Nikki Haley's rising poll numbers in New Hampshire? Give a listen.
Should Harvard Be Burned Down?
December 21, 2023 16:15 - 1 hour - 58.9 MBToday's podcast takes up the meaning of Harvard's president being a plagiarist and nonetheless holding on to her job—what does this mean, what are the ramifications, and how deeply does it seem to represent a rot that goes down to the root of America's foremost private institution? Give a listen.
Rocky Mountain Low
December 20, 2023 15:55 - 55 minutes - 51.2 MBToday's podcast takes up the headshaking decision of the Colorado Supreme Court to try and keep Donald Trump off the presidential ballot, basically asking the deep and profound question: What the hell???? Give a listen.
Poll Vault
December 19, 2023 15:14 - 56 minutes - 51.6 MBToday's podcast examines polling on Joe Biden, polling on American youth and Gaza, polling on Nikki Haley, polling on Donald Trump, polling on abortion, and reckons that everything is very, very confusing. We try to clear up that confusion. Give a listen.
Young, Indoctrinated, and Dangerous
December 18, 2023 15:01 - 56 minutes - 52.1 MBToday we talk about a new poll that found a majority of Americans under 25 view Israel as an oppressor and believe that the October 7 massacre could be justified. We get into the history of these poisonous ideas, their rise in American universities and American culture, and what needs to be done about it.
White House Confusion on Israel
December 15, 2023 16:03 - 1 hour - 58.8 MBToday we talk about the twists and turns at the Biden White House as it articulates its position on Israel. What does it mean that Israel has until the end of the year to get more precise with its targeting? And what is Kamala Harris up to in pushing for more vocal consideration of the Palestinians? Finally, we take up James Bennet's massive new essay on the New York Times' turn toward illiberalism. Give a listen.
The Biden-Bibi Babble
December 14, 2023 14:59 - 50 minutes - 45.8 MBToday's podcast asks whether Joe Biden has turned on Benjamin Netanyahu and what role Bibi's own electoral hopes and fears are playing in this seeming new confrontation. And: Will there be a big border/Ukraine/Israel funding deal, given that it's in everybody's interest to get the deal? Give a listen.
Impeachment Time Again?
December 13, 2023 15:48 - 53 minutes - 48.6 MBToday we talk about House Republican plans to hold a vote on the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden. How does the latest impeachment saga stack-up against the impeachments of Donald Trump? Will it hurt Biden or embarrass the Republicans? And what does it—along with Trump's ongoing legal woes—say about Americans' faith in the system? Give a listen.
Kamala's Husband and Kamala's Future
December 12, 2023 15:18 - 1 hour - 63.7 MBToday's podcast goes into detail about an inadvertently hilarious tweet from the Second Gentleman, Doug Emhoff, about the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah and what it reveals about him, Jewish people like him, and the problem Kamala Harris poses for Joe Biden. And, again, why are Trumpy politicians going all in on opposing Ukraine aid—and why is Biden not acceding to stricter border control ideas in exchange for that aid? Give a listen.
Trump Dominates
December 11, 2023 15:57 - 1 hour - 63.8 MBEliana Johnson joins the podcast today to discuss the startling NBC News poll of Iowa that finds Trump with an absolute majority of Republican voters and Ron DeSantis going exactly nowhere fast. Why did DeSantis run if he was never going to challenge Trump in the first place? What about the poll numbers from CNN today that show Trump beating Biden by ten points in Michigan? And maybe the college presidents said what they said at the hearing last week because they believe it. Give a listen.
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Hunter?
December 08, 2023 14:39 - 1 hour - 60.2 MBToday we discuss the indictment of Hunter Biden. Does this, along with the inquiry into Joe Biden's connections to Hunter's business, effectively neutralize the president's chief argument against Donald Trump? What will Joe Biden do now? What's in the best interest of the country? Also—mailbag! Give a listen.
The Nihilism-Triggering Debate
December 07, 2023 15:07 - 1 hour - 56.6 MBOn today's podcast, I am filled with nihilistic despair about the state of the Republican race after last night's probably final presidential primary debate, while Matt Continetti and Seth Mandel try to convince me not to curl up in a ball. Plus: College presidents and their hostage videos! Give a listen.
The Ivy League Exposes Itself
December 06, 2023 15:14 - 1 hour - 58.6 MBToday we take up the prevarication and plain dishonesty of university presidents during the House committee hearing on campus anti-Semitism. One claims not to know about foreign funding and another doesn't think incitement to anti-Semitic violence is a conduct violation. For Harvard, UPenn, MIT, and others, this was a watershed moment. Give a listen.
Where Biden Fears to Tread
December 05, 2023 15:30 - 1 hour - 69.7 MBWhy can't Joe Biden face down the protestors on his left? Why is he hedging in his support of Israel? Why hasn't he responded to Iranian attacks on the U.S.? Why doesn't he give Ukraine what it needs to win? And why is he losing to Donald Trump? He's afraid. Give a listen.
The Intifada in America
December 04, 2023 13:34 - 1 hour - 63 MBToday's podcast notes that the end of the fighting "pause" in Israel almost denotes the end of the idea of "ceasefire." And now the disingenuous efforts to oppose Israel's self-defense are going by the wayside. This is now leading to outright calls for "intifada" here in the United States—which is the term used over the past 35 years to describe Palestinian efforts to attack Jews for being Jews with any means at hand. And the attacks on American Jews and Jewish public life are only accelerati...
Israel Goes In, Blinken Goes Wobbly
December 01, 2023 15:54 - 1 hour - 81 MBToday's podcast is a hybrid. The first part, about the appalling rhetoric used by Antony Blinken about Israel and its conduct of the war that has now restarted, was recorded Friday morning, December 1. The second half, about the passing of Henry Kissinger and my trip to the massacre site in Israel, was recorded Thursday afternoon, November 30. Please be understanding as you give a listen.
Schumer's Shining Moment
November 30, 2023 14:14 - 1 hour - 60 MBToday we talk about Chuck Schumer's bold Senate-floor speech warning about anti-Semitism from the left. He said the right words at the right time, but how will it impact the calls from his own party to condition aid to Israel? And what's up with Joe Biden's tweet seeming to nod toward the ceasefire crowd? Give a listen.
Will the U.S. Wobble?
November 29, 2023 13:26 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBToday we dig into the stories about U.S. hopes for a grand deal leading to a ceasefire. What are negotiators up to? Does Biden think this is going to help him politically? And we talk about the disconnect between Israeli security imperatives and American war weariness. Give a listen.
The Feeling Inside Israel
November 28, 2023 13:56 - 53 minutes - 49 MBOn today's podcast, I provide the first of my impressions on a weeklong trip to Israel and what it feels like to be in a country at war—even during this strange period when the rocket fire has stopped and the hostages are being dribbled out by Hamas. The podcast crew joins me in wondering how stiff the spines of Joe Biden and the Israelis can and will remain as Hamas continues to play the hostage card. Give a listen.
Are We Losing the Plot?
November 27, 2023 13:47 - 1 hour - 55.5 MBToday we ask whether the daily release of Israeli hostages threatens to obscure the main point: Israel must defeat Hamas. And with fighting paused, how much pressure will the world put on Israel to abandon this aim? Give a listen.
Bring One-Fifth of Them Home
November 22, 2023 16:12 - 1 hour - 60.9 MBDan Senor joins the pre-Thanksgiving podcast to discuss the contours of the deal to release hostages from Gaza, along with some of the horrifying details of how the soldiers in Israel who will take custody of the children are being instructed to deal with them and the questions they ask, like "Where are Mommy and Daddy?" Give a listen.
The Hostage Anxiety
November 21, 2023 15:42 - 1 hour - 57.7 MBToday's podcast takes up the purported deal to free hostages from Gaza—why it's happening, what has impelled a deal that doesn't look rational on paper, and what might come of it. Also, why did the White House release a birthday-cake picture with Joe Biden in it that looked like the White House was going to be set on fire? Give a listen.
Biden's Nightmare Poll
November 20, 2023 14:46 - 1 hour - 60.4 MBToday we get into new polling that shows Joe Biden losing to Donald Trump in about 50 different ways. What are Democrats to make of this? Is it too late? The poll also reveals broad American support for Israel and Ukraine. And what's up with talk of a hostage deal with Hamas? Give a listen.
Tunnels and Anti-Semites
November 17, 2023 15:15 - 1 hour - 75.2 MBThe full podcast crew is back today to discuss the weird moment when people started to crow about how the Israelis weren't finding the Hamas tunnels at the hospital—only to fall silent when they were found. And the anti-Semitism explosion just gets worse, with Elon Musk, Candace Owens, Charlie Kirk, and Tucker Carlson playing along. Give a listen.
Mark His Words: Trump Is Ahead
November 16, 2023 15:03 - 1 hour - 60.9 MBMark Halperin joins the podcast today to examine polling data both national and state-level and concludes that Trump is winning the race against Joe Biden and Democrats are kidding themselves if they believe otherwise. Give a listen.
The March Overwhelms, Media Fails
November 15, 2023 15:30 - 58 minutes - 53.3 MBCaution: Today's podcast has a lot of cursing on it—cursing about the shockingly bad coverage of the extraordinary March for Israel yesterday and the effort by the mainstream media to bury it in an avalanche of "but really policymakers are concerned" coverage that is, frankly, bull---. Give a listen.