Lovett or Leave It: "Democrats Rocked By Good News"

Date: November 8, 2025
Host: Jon Lovett
Guests: David Krumholtz, Ana Gasteyer, Victor Jones (musical guest)

Episode Overview

Coming to you live from Brooklyn's Crown Hill Theater, Jon Lovett launches a new season with a spirited crowd and two major Democratic victories as backdrop: Abigail Spamberger’s historic win as Virginia’s first female governor, and Zoran Mamdani’s upset victory as the new Mayor of New York City. Lovett, joined by actor David Krumholtz, SNL legend Ana Gasteyer, and musical performer Victor Jones, covers election fallout, Democratic optimism, the state of American politics, and the secret drama behind showbiz curmudgeons.

With his signature wit and exasperation, Lovett skewers cynical campaign tactics, celebrates organizing victories, and explores how politics can connect—or isolate—us. The show weaves through sharp political analysis, pop culture anecdotes, Broadway mishaps, and candid banter, keeping the crowd engaged and inciting both laughter and thoughtfulness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A New Era for Democrats & New York City

• Abigail Spamberger & Zoran Mamdani Wins

  • Lovett opens by reveling in the Democratic wins, noting the shock and delight across the party and the media establishment.
    • “In a development that has rocked the corporate establishment, confounded the stodgy notions of what is possible in our politics, sent a shiver down the spines of Republicans across the country… Abigail Spamberger has won her race for governor of Virginia.” (05:52)
    • On NYC: “Zoran Mamdani’s improbable campaign has ended in victory. He will be the next mayor of New York City.” (06:13)

• Cuomo’s Defeat and Political Cynicism

  • Lovett ridicules Andrew Cuomo’s failed, fearmongering campaign and AI attack ads, framing his loss as a win for both policy and decency.
    • “I think there’s a good case to be made that Andrew Cuomo ran the most cynical political campaign in any of our lifetimes… I am very glad that New York said fuck off to that.” (09:02)
    • “Now Republicans are going to use this victory by Mamdani to try to dump all over this city. And you know what? They’re welcome to it, because New York is just one big genderless bathroom now.” (08:29)

2. Rhetoric, Fear, and the Shifting Democratic Coalition

• GOP & Trump Attacks

  • Lovett mocks GOP attacks on the new mayor, AI-powered smear ads, and Trump’s threat to block funding to NYC.
    • “Trump said flat out he will do everything in his power to block funding to New York if Mamdani won. Posting: ‘If Mamdani wins, it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing federal funds…’” (15:50)

• Mamdani’s Campaign Strategy & Broad Coalition

  • Mamdani’s openness, ability to answer hard questions, and focus on persuasion and government reform are heralded as a model for future Democratic campaigns.
    • “Mamdani built a massive, enthusiastic base of support…and at the same time, shown a genuine willingness to listen to and bring in more skeptical voices… because he is in the game of persuasion. Of addition.” (16:20)

• Lessons for National Democrats

  • Lovett highlights lessons from the 2025 elections: energy, coalition-building, and the power of organizing.
    • “The Times described the campaign as an antidote to loneliness, about the meaning and connection and community politics can create. That is a lesson for Democrats across the country.” (19:44)
    • AOC quote: “This is about, do you understand the assignment of fighting fascism right now? And the assignment is to come together across difference, no matter what.” (20:46)

3. Democratic Wins Coast to Coast

• State Races Roundup

  • Spamberger (VA), Ghazala Hashmi (first Muslim woman in VA statewide office), Mikie Sherrill (NJ), and other down-ballot victories celebrated.
  • “We won a mayor’s race in Miami, picked up two state Senate seats in Mississippi, won judicial contests in Pennsylvania, and passed that constitutional amendment to make all cybertrucks gay.” (23:22)

• Trump’s Senate Meeting & Filibuster

  • Lovett teases Trump’s calls to abolish the filibuster and fears of Democratic power moves: “They’re going to pack the court, they’re going to make D.C. a state, and they’re going to make Puerto Rico a state. So now they pick up two states, they pick up four senators...” (25:10)

4. Interview: Ana Gasteyer on Comedy, Broadway, and Childhood in Political Washington

• Comedy vs. Singing, SNL and Broadway

  • Ana reflects on being underestimated as a singer, her journey from voice major to SNL comedian to Broadway star, and the physical challenges of playing Elphaba in Wicked.
    • “If you’re known from television and then you’re accidentally a really good singer, it’s upsetting to people.” (33:18)
    • “It’s Olympian… You just worry about [your voice]… Very physically challenging, above and beyond the actual vocal pyrotechnics.” (39:04)

• Show Mishaps & ‘No-Fly’ Nights

  • Gasteyer delights in telling ‘no-fly’ stories—the rare Broadway nights when stage technicals fail and improvisation reigns.
    • “You can feel that it’s starting to come up. So what these guys do—it’s theater—they lay on the floor… You just do it like… and you’re sitting there thinking, these people spent so much money and they’re now seeing the kind of show your family would force you to watch in the basement on Thanksgiving…” (41:00)

• Political Upbringing

  • Ana recounts childhood memories of the White House and the Camp David Accords.
    • “I was at the Camp David Accords… Menachem and Anwar Sadat. And the President watched Amy and friend Ana Gasteyer play Lightly Row on the violin… Mrs. Carter came in and said, girls, brush your hair—the Sadats are coming over to watch Star Wars.” (36:01)

5. Interview: David Krumholtz on Range, Hollywood, and Curmudgeons

• On Typecasting, Range, and ‘Jewish Coded’ Roles

  • Krumholtz riffs about his roles, “range,” and whether Jewish actors must always ‘perform’ their Jewishness.
    • “I actually played up the Jewishness in [Addams Family Values]…I am. I carry the cross.” (54:45)

• Showbiz Curmudgeons & Bombing on Sitcoms

  • Krumholtz and Gasteyer swap tales of legendary curmudgeons, failed sitcoms, and the indignities of live-audience TV.
    • “There’s nothing like bombing in front of a live audience with someone else’s bad jokes, you know are bad.” (59:46)
  • Memorable Story: Ed Asner, oatmeal, and on-set rebellion.
    • “Ed Asner had a mouthful of oatmeal and spit it all over Alan Rafkin’s head, his face, it was like in his nails...” (62:04)

6. Game: "Arma-Kmudgeddon" – Ranking Famous Curmudgeons

Game Mechanics: Guests must ‘blind rank’ New York (or honorary New York) curmudgeons from 1 (most curmudgeonly) to 5.

• Fran Lebowitz, Bernie Sanders, George Jefferson, Andy Rooney, Larry David

• Spirited debate about each, lots of riffs on Jewishness and classic comedy.

  • Lovett: “So in hindsight, is it four Jews and George Jefferson?” (67:03)
  • Ana: “80% of these people have IBS.” (76:53)

• Krumholtz on Larry David: “Do I think he’s like that in real life? Probably to some extent.” (71:01)

• Danny DeVito Story:

  • Krumholtz’s notorious backstage clash with DeVito, and ultimately quitting the production:
    • “He cursed me out so bad for the…there was a line… Then why do you say it like a question? … And that was after a long string of abuse. I said, I need a break…” (74:19)
    • “My dad…always the guy that was like, take the money and don’t complain…he was so upset… Good for you, son. Don’t take shit from anybody.” (75:30)

7. Musical Performances: Victor Jones

• Original Song #1: "I Get Hurt" (02:29)
• Original Song #2: "Shoulder Song" (91:24)
  • Between songs, Jones debunks rumors his music is AI-generated by reading lines from his notes app.
    • “It just shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what AI is capable of in the modern era. … These are many different dates from over the course of years… This is how my brain works.” (88:39)
    • “Not AI. My notes app, everybody.” (90:51)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• Lovett on Cynical Campaigns:
  “I think there’s a good case to be made that Andrew Cuomo ran the most cynical political campaign in any of our lifetimes.” (09:02)

• Channeling Doris Kearns Goodwin:
  “Said Doris Kearns Goodwin to the television at her friend’s house, because you know she’s one of those people that doesn’t have a television.” (08:12)

• Victor Jones on AI Music Accusations:
  “I had a whole response plan which was inclusive of points like AI being generative from lots of sources… But I thought it would be a lot more fun to just pull up my notes app and prove this is how my brain works.” (88:39)

• Ana Gasteyer on Broadway’s Grueling Reality:
  “The second act costume is…£40… I was so skinny when I was doing the show. All of the—the bucket’s really heavy, the stupid spell book… My fascia blew up, had a triangle of bloat between my ear and my shoulder…” (39:04)

• David Krumholtz’s Rant on Freedom & Nihilism:
  “It seems that we are in a period of chronic dissatisfaction in this country because we confuse freedom with abundance… Now what we’ve become is this drama, like, desperate for drama, desperate for chaos… Democracy is not so thinly spread… It’s actually the strongest form of government… So perhaps be strong, be positive… I’m saying maybe calm the fuck down.” (82:00–83:45)

• Ana on Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House:
  “He’s so fucking smug… Now he’s like the guy who thinks he’s landed in, like… big dick of Cock Island, and it’s so enraging. Everyone’s vagina dries when he walks into the room.” (85:26)

• Lovett on Marjorie Taylor Greene:
  “Whatever the fuck is going on with the rehabilitation of Marjorie Taylor Greene… It’s more than a twice a day now. Broken clocks aren’t right this often. What’s happening?” (86:01)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Opening monologue & election aftermath: 05:28–21:13
• State-by-state victories & analysis: 21:13–26:45
• Victor Jones musical performance ("I Get Hurt"): 02:29–05:28
• Ana Gasteyer interview – on SNL, Broadway, Camp David: 31:24–47:39
• David Krumholtz interview – on “Jewish coding”, showbiz, curmudgeons: 50:03–63:04
• Arma-Kmudgeddon game: 63:12–77:02
• Rant Wheel (Krumholtz, Gasteyer, Lovett): 81:39–87:38
• Victor Jones AI discussion: 88:17–90:51
• Victor Jones musical performance ("Shoulder Song"): 91:24–97:45
• Closing, thanks, and call to action: 97:45–100:00

Tone and Style

Lovett’s signature is sharp sarcasm, joyful exasperation, and political clarity, seamlessly blended with the comic stylings of his guests. Crowd energy in Brooklyn is high, with humor both self-deprecating and incisively pointed at public figures behaving badly.

For Listeners Who Missed It

This episode is a must-listen if you:

• Want context and celebration around surprising Democratic wins in 2025’s off-year elections
• Appreciate candid, hilarious conversations about Broadway, SNL, and Hollywood’s real personalities
• Crave smart, irreverent takes on American politics from a progressive, activist standpoint
• Enjoy authentic musical artistry from up-and-coming talent Victor Jones
• Need the optimism (and humor!) of Lovett and friends after years of political fatigue