Tucker Carlson and a guest of his blame Winston Churchill for World War II. Thomas Friedman blames Bibi Netanyahu for the murder of the hostages. These are just some of the outrages we discuss on today's podcast, along with a conversation around our own Christine Rosen's new book, The Extinction of Experience . Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Sep 04, 2024•1 hr 10 min
What exactly is it the protestors in Israel and the media in the United States and Joe Biden actually want out of Israel? It appears they want the country to give up the strategic high ground it holds near Gaza in pursuit of a "deal" no one really believes can be struck. We talk about that, and we talk also about our own Christine Rosen's new book, The Extinction of Experience. Pre-order it on Amazon, and give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Sep 03, 2024•1 hr 9 min
Dan Senor joins us to take the temperature of the Israeli body politic in the wake of the heartbreaking and disgusting news involving the slaughter of six hostages in Rafah, including the American Hersh Goldberg-Polin. What will Israelis demand of their government? What can Israel do? And will the compliant media allow Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to skate lightly over this nightmare while Donald Trump seeks to fan the flames? Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...
Sep 02, 2024•1 hr 2 min
The interview, everybody! It was 27 whole minutes of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz! Was it joyous? Did she become president by acclamation? We gathered in its immediate wake to provide our perspective, our grades, our sense of the vibes, and the general question of whether this was the first or the last interview she will ever sit for. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 30, 2024•1 hr 12 min
National polling shows Kamala Harris in the lead but battleground-state polling shows pretty much a tie between her and Donald Trump in the places that will decide the election. How to explain this, and how to explain the controversy over Trump laying a wreath at Arlington Cemetery? Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 29, 2024•1 hr 12 min
Adam White joins us today to talk about the re-indictment of Donald Trump relating to January 6 and whether the new effort by the special prosecutor answers the Supreme Court's ruling earlier this summer. But first: She's being interviewed! But not alone! Why not alone? And what will interviewer Dana Bash do? Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 28, 2024•1 hr 18 min
A full house on today's podcast shows how the press is attempting to cover for Kamala Harris's silence on issues through hilariously banal teen-fan-magazine coverage, and whether Donald Trump is now moving to take advantage of that silence. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Jonathan Schanzer joins us today to talk about Israel's action to prevent a massive barrage of Hezbollah missiles raining down on the Jewish state and the bizarre fact that so many are acting as though it has "escalated" a conflict that Hezbollah has been waging against Israel unilaterally since October 8—rather than staging an action that stopped or delayed a wider conflagration. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Aug 26, 2024•1 hr 17 min
The Democrats had themselves a convention, they're really happy, Kamala Harris spoke for a while and did fine, the media have gone absolutely bonkers for her entirely—shall we say—conventional speech, and can she keep up being this much of a cipher until Election Day? Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 23, 2024•1 hr 25 min
Mark Halperin joins us to discuss Tim Walz's speech, Bill Clinton's rasp, Oprah Winfrey as childless cat lady, and whether the vibes are just getting too vibey. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 22, 2024•1 hr 17 min
We dive deep into the visuals, music, and pageantry of the second day of the Democratic National Convention. Killer speeches by Doug Emhoff and Michelle Obama! Barack, condescending to Joe Biden and pretty much everybody else in America! And the best roll call of the states ever! Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 21, 2024•1 hr 31 min
There was yelling, chanting, attacking, and speechifying. It was the first night of the Democratic National Convention. How do we think it went for Kamala Harris? And what do we make of Joe Biden's late-night farewell? We agree a little, disagree a little—and, yes, we complain. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 20, 2024•1 hr 16 min
Today's podcast previews the Democratic convention, with a focus on media slavishness, whether the Democrats are now high on their own supply, and why history suggests they should not be so confident that Kamala Harris will hit it out of the park when she speaks on Thursday. Also: Some questions we'd like to see answered. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 19, 2024•1 hr 16 min
We're back with a normal podcast in which we discuss Donald Trump's "press conference," Kamala Harris's "economic proposals," and the negotiations over a "hostage deal," and Minouche Shafik's "resignation." Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 16, 2024•1 hr 11 min
John and Abe talk about what goes into putting together an issue of COMMENTARY, using the July/August issue as an example. From the commissioning of articles to the editorial and production stages to the practical constraints of print and the kind of decisions that shape each issue—it's all covered. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 15, 2024•36 min
In this podcast, we talk about works of science fiction that have meant a lot to us, whether short stories or novels. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 14, 2024•33 min
Today we talk about our favorite memoirs and the effect they've had on us. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 13, 2024•26 min
Today we discuss speeches—historical, modern, American, or otherwise—that have had particular significance for each of us. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 12, 2024•21 min
Today's podcast evaluates the Trump press conference yesterday and whether he met the moment, and considers whether things have taken a potentially startling turn in the Middle East. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 09, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Eli Lake joins us to take the temperature of the Tim Walz Era—are the stories about his service dangerous for him or dangerous for Republicans who want to use them? And what about Kamala Harris's engagement at a rally with pro-Hamas protestors—did that go well for her or does it suggest trouble ahead? Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 08, 2024•59 min
Mark Halperin joins us today to evaluate the introduction of Veep candidate Tim Walz and the question of the role of Jewishness or his lack thereof in his selection. And what is Donald Trump doing, exactly? Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 07, 2024•1 hr 12 min
Dan Senor joins us to discuss the Democratic VP pick and what it says about the party and its vanguard and what it means to be a Jewish Democrat in 2024. Also, is there a reason to think the impending Iranian response to Israel won't be as horrifying as many fear? Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 06, 2024•1 hr 15 min
Two guests today, for the first time on the COMMENTARY podcast! Jonathan Schanzer joins to talk about the Middle East and David Bahnsen joins to talk about the bad day in the market and what it portends. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 05, 2024•1 hr 8 min
Our old pal Noah Rothman comes back on the podcast today to discuss whether and how to celebrate the release of American prisoners from Russian jails and how this might tie in to the question of Israel's handling of its own prisoner swaps—one of which led directly to October 7. And a fearless prediction is made about the Republican ticket. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 02, 2024•1 hr 27 min
In his appearance before a group of black journalists, Donald Trump gave massive offense on the matter of Kamala Harris's racial and ethnic origins. Was this a fatal error—or was he trying to surface a conversation about the elite's use of identity politics that will help his campaign and hurt Harris? Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 01, 2024•1 hr 10 min
Today we dive into Israel's same-day operations to take out Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Lebanon and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran. What will Kamala Harris say about the killing of two terrorists enemies of Israel and the U.S.? Oh, and there's the Trump campaign's operation that killed Project 2025! Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 31, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Today's podcast focuses on Joe Biden's shocking proposals for remaking the Supreme Court, why they're so awful, and what they suggest about whom the American people should hold accountable for the delegitimization of our institutions. Also, which party is the weird party, really? Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 30, 2024•1 hr 17 min
Dan Senor joins the podcast to reckon with the horrible attack on the Druze town in the Golan Heights and what it means for Israel and the region—and, more specifically, what Kamala Harris's silence on the matter in the first 36 hours after it happened portends for her campaign. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 29, 2024•1 hr 1 min
In her first major statement as the presumptive Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris announced she would not "be silent" about supposed Israeli depredations in Gaza. Didn't take long! Also didn't take the media long to begin creating a castle in the air for their new queen to live in, and to dig a grave for the Republican vice presidential nominee. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 26, 2024•1 hr 16 min
Five minutes after Joe Biden finished speaking we began speaking together about his speech and how...not really good it was and why it wasn't. And then...how good Bibi Netanyahu's speech was and why it was. Donald Trump today said he was going to stop being nice. We're not nice on this podcast, I have to say. Give a listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 25, 2024•1 hr 19 min