The Commentary Magazine Podcast

Episode: Do Dem Leftists Care About Actual Policy?
Date: November 13, 2025
Panel: John Podhoretz (Host), Abe Greenwald, Christine Rosen, Eliana Johnson

Episode Overview

This episode centers on contemporary left-leaning politics, especially within the Democratic Party, and explores whether prominent progressive figures and factions—particularly "the Squad" and Democratic Socialists—focus on substantive policy or are more invested in ideological signaling and identity politics. The conversation traverses recent government events such as the end of a historic government shutdown, ongoing healthcare debates, the political fallout for figures like Chuck Schumer, the rise of leftist politicians in New York, campaign finance scandals, media priorities, and the potential risks posed by the AI bubble in the U.S. economy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Government Shutdown Ends – Does Anyone Care? (02:38)

• John Podhoretz notes that the recent, record-length shutdown ended with little fanfare, arguing these events have lost their ability to influence public opinion as dramatically as in the past.
• The panel agrees shutdowns are now "the cost of doing business" in Washington:

  "Every presidency is going to have a shutdown, maybe more than one. This is the game. Everyone has had them." [John Podhoretz, 02:44]

• Eliana Johnson highlights how both parties tried to spin the shutdown, particularly Democrats trying to blame Republicans for “the failure of Obamacare,” but found little traction.

2. The Political Blame Game: Obamacare & the Economics of Health Care (04:19, 13:16)

• Democrats are striving to hang rising health care costs around the necks of Republicans, despite GOP warnings about ballooning costs at the program’s inception.
• Abe Greenwald offers:

  "Schumer’s tried both approaches and gets beaten like a pathetic dog either way… Schumer doesn’t really have a handle on the members of his party." [Abe Greenwald, 13:16]

• Debate about the challenge of making meaningful healthcare reform and why “single-payer”—once a passionate leftwing rallying point—is no longer on the table.

  "Here we are 15 years later and they haven’t gone back to it and they’re not talking about it. It’s the dog that doesn’t bark." [John Podhoretz, 15:52]

3. Trump’s Nontraditional Economic and Policy Moves (10:03)

• Discussion of Trump’s unusual policy proposals, such as $2,000 tariff rebate checks and inviting Chinese students to the U.S., both alienating parts of his traditional and populist base.
• Eliana Johnson observes:

  "None of the stuff he’s doing is typically Republican or even mildly conservative... his numbers on the economy among Republicans ... are bad." [Eliana Johnson, 10:03]

4. Do Progressive Leftists Care About Policy, or Only Identity and Performative Issues? (24:16, 26:32, 28:14)

• The panel bemoans the lack of classic left-wing redistributive policy from prominent progressive politicians, finding the bulk of their activism focused on identity or foreign policy issues (e.g., anti-Israel positions).
• “Squad”-type leftists are criticized for neglecting bread-and-butter economic policies:

  "They don’t have public policy stands as we would understand them. Even if they call themselves Democratic Socialists..." [John Podhoretz, 24:45]

• Eliana Johnson expands this critique to the socialist-technocrat elite, likening Bernie Sanders’ personal wealth and career to the broader phenomenon:

  "He is the most prominent Democratic socialist in our nation and he is a multimillionaire." [Eliana Johnson, 28:14]

5. The Newsom Chief of Staff Indictment & Campaign Finance Corruption (31:38)

• The story: Newsom’s former chief of staff was indicted for funneling dormant campaign funds into personal luxury expenditures.
• Abe Greenwald highlights elite entitlement:

  "I think this is the tip of the iceberg of a national iceberg... House campaigns, Senate campaigns, senators often run all but unopposed... And where is that money?" [John Podhoretz, 36:35]

• The panel notes the media’s minimal coverage relative to Trump-Epstein stories, suggesting partisan prioritization in coverage.

6. Media Priorities: Trump-Epstein vs. Real Risks Like The AI Bubble (40:07, 44:19, 52:21)

• The Epstein files are dominating front pages and political newsletters while underreported stories (like the Newsom finance scandal or a potential AI-driven market collapse) see little daylight.
• John is especially critical:

  "We’re constantly looking in the wrong direction at things... now we’re talking about Jeffrey Epstein...and you just flash this shiny flashlight and everybody looks in that direction." [John Podhoretz, 44:19]

• The panel muses on why the Epstein story won’t die and highlights unresolved public sentiment about elite malfeasance.
• Abe Greenwald:

  "It’s something that could cause a problem for Trump versus something that could cause a problem for Democrats." [Abe Greenwald, 50:48]

7. Is the AI Boom the Next Big Bubble? (43:17, 55:39, 56:28)

• AI has become central to the economy—tech investments behind recent growth, Nvidia as the most valuable company—but Michael Burry (of "The Big Short" fame) warns of an imminent crash.
• The conversation turns speculative: if AI is both the new "fracking" (potential salvation) and a bubble, what happens if it bursts?

  "It’s both an investment bubble and the only hope for the future." [John Podhoretz, 56:28]

• Potential for regulatory backstops and government partnerships, reminiscent of post-financial-crisis bailouts.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• John Podhoretz, on Schumer and leftist dissatisfaction:
  "Schumer doesn’t really have a handle on the members of his party. This would not have happened…to Mitch McConnell." [13:16]
• Abe Greenwald, on leftist priorities:
  "Squad types for all their radicalism are so focused on identity issues and not, you know, traditional left-wing economic issues." [24:16]
• Eliana Johnson, on Democratic Socialists:
  "It's a very popular PR strategy to tell people that we want to give you free things and those terrible Republicans just want to help the wealthy. But at the end of the day, they have to get results." [28:14]
• On media focus:
  "I think this is the tip of the iceberg of a national iceberg." [John Podhoretz, 36:35]
  "There’s no way to justify this level of interest in a single story...But I’m not interested in it to the exclusion of every other story." [Abe Greenwald, 53:00]
• On technology & economic risk:
  "If the stock market crashes by 40%, everyone’s portfolios crash by 40%...That is the kind of power centrality that the AI bubble has for the stock market." [John Podhoretz, 53:22]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 02:38 – The shutdown ends, reflections on political impact and public apathy
• 04:19 – Health care debate: Obamacare, political blame, and reform challenges
• 10:03 – Trump’s unorthodox policies and impact on his coalition
• 13:16 – Chuck Schumer’s political vulnerability with his own party
• 24:16 – Are leftists prioritizing identity over economic policy?
• 31:38 – Gavin Newsom’s Chief of Staff indicted; campaign finance scandal discussion
• 44:19 – Media distraction: Epstein files dominate coverage over substantive scandals and economic risk
• 52:21 – Near-exclusionary media focus on Epstein; implications for public news diet
• 55:39 – Panel unpacks the possible economic fallout of a bursting AI bubble

Conclusion

The panel concludes that both the populist right and progressive left are struggling or unwilling to grapple with hard policy issues—on the left, economic redistribution takes a backseat to identity and performative activism, even as electoral and civic consequences accumulate. Meanwhile, the media’s fixation on scandals like Epstein obscures emerging economic risks (notably, AI), political corruption, and policy failures that deserve far more substantive scrutiny. The discussion is insightful and peppered with the panelists’ characteristic wit and skepticism of both party establishments.

Recommendations & Closing Thoughts (60:14)

• John Podhoretz recommends Uncool by Cameron Crowe, lauding Crowe’s literary skill and the personal/historical depth in his memoir.
• The episode ends with a brief, light-hearted discussion of reading preferences—paper versus digital—before the hosts sign off.

For listeners seeking critique of current Democratic left priorities, the mechanics and malfeasance of campaign finance, or a skeptical take on the AI boom, this episode offers a lively, opinionated snapshot of Washington and media culture in late 2025.