The Commentary Magazine Podcast

Episode: Election Day-O, Daaay-O

Date: November 4, 2025
Host: John Podhoretz
Guests/Panelists: Abe Greenwald, Eliana Johnson, Christine Rosen

Episode Overview

This episode, recorded on Election Day 2025, opens with reflections on the passing of former Vice President Dick Cheney and transitions into a robust, candid roundtable on the day’s most significant elections—from California’s redistricting referendum to high-stakes gubernatorial and mayoral races in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York City. The hosts discuss the legacy of principled public service, the tactical realities of modern partisan politics, internal Democratic disarray, and an undercurrent of concern over right- and left-wing populism reshaping American institutions.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Remembering Dick Cheney (03:00–16:30)

• John Podhoretz starts the show by memorializing Dick Cheney as a "remarkable political figure" and a model of principle, service, and vision—commenting on his surprising late career opposition to Donald Trump and his history as a staunch defender of national security post-9/11.
  • “He was a man of great principle...and he deserves every celebration upon his passing.” —John Podhoretz (04:05)
• Christine Rosen recounts Cheney's popularity in Wyoming—even among progressives—highlighting his local connections and the intellectual strength of his wife, Lyn.
• Eliana Johnson reflects on Cheney as an “inspirational figure” for younger conservatives of the Bush era, contrasting his reserved demeanor with Bush’s charisma.
• Abe Greenwald and John discuss the myth vs. reality of Cheney’s role in the Bush White House (referencing Peter Baker's "Days of Fire"), dispelling narratives that painted him as an unrestrained warmonger.
• The panel reflects on Cheney’s personal journey—from troubled youth to a self-made public servant, underscoring his self-discipline and transformation.

Notable Quotes

• “Cheney was more reserved, but such an articulate and capable defender of the president. And really, an inspirational figure for young people.” —Eliana Johnson (06:18)
• “He sort of willed himself to become a calm, understated person, had not been... but then turned it around.” —John Podhoretz (13:10)
• “We think of them as public servants, not as politicians... We feel a sense of loss as we watch that generation usher off the political stage.” —Christine Rosen (14:04)
• “Can we also just talk about Cheney’s greatest moment... when he told Patrick Leahy to go F yourself.” —Eliana Johnson (15:06)

2. Partisanship and Redistricting: The California Referendum (16:30–23:48)

• The hosts break down California’s impending passage of a referendum to let Democrats redraw the congressional map, intended to counter Republican-driven gerrymandering in other states.
• John and Abe both observe that Democrats have abandoned their former moral high ground on gerrymandering, now unapologetically engaging in the practice.
• Christine notes voters’ exhaustion with endless propositions and ballot measures, voicing a concern that “maybe there’s too much democracy.”

Notable Quotes

• “If you’re going to start futzing around as Republicans did, Democrats are going to respond where they can respond.” —John Podhoretz (20:08)
• “It’s very much a both-sides circumstance now.” —Abe Greenwald (21:09)
• “Maybe the people don’t need to be weighing in on every single little tedious issue. Maybe we should elect representatives to represent their interests.” —Christine Rosen (22:54)

3. Gerrymandering Hypocrisy & Election Narratives (23:49–34:00)

• Eliana highlights Eric Holder’s reversal on gerrymandering, now embracing Democratic redistricting despite years of opposition.
• John connects today’s hyper-partisan legalism to the 2000 Presidential Election recounts, tracing the evolution of “every vote must count” rhetoric.
• Christine discusses how Democrats reframed voting disputes as existential threats to democracy—a narrative now with diminished persuasive power, especially after Trump’s similar denial of electorial results in 2020.

Notable Quotes

• “Holder is now embracing gerrymandering, and nobody’s calling him on this, nobody’s calling him on the hypocrisy at all.” —Eliana Johnson (29:02)
• “They drained the attack of all power and let Trump say, basically, say whatever you want about me.” —John Podhoretz (16:04)
• “That argument [democracy at risk] has fallen flat again, for the Chicken Little reasons you cited earlier...even if that history is only about 10 years old.” —Christine Rosen (32:57)

4. What “Moral Superiority” Looks Like in Modern Elections (34:01–38:54)

• John and the panel dissect the one-sided moral rhetoric that now envelops power struggles—Democrats justifying raw pursuit of power as noble, Republicans adopting similar logic post-2016.
• They speculate that Newsom’s push for the California referendum is an effective wedge and résumé builder for a future presidential run.

Notable Quotes

• “The root argument is they’re bad, so we oppose them, and in opposing them, you should support us because we’re saving you from them.” —John Podhoretz (35:05)
• “Being able to say ‘I stopped the Republicans from getting their way’ is going to be a powerful message.” —John Podhoretz (38:58)

5. Key 2025 Gubernatorial Races: Virginia & New Jersey (40:42–58:45)

Virginia: Winsome Sears vs Abigail Spanberger

• Eliana, a Virginia voter, describes Spanberger’s struggles—a race that was not supposed to be close is now “within fighting distance,” reflecting badly on Spanberger’s future.
• The panel critiques Spanberger’s “incompetence” and inability to answer culture war questions (esp. transgender athletes in sports), with Christine noting, “Her lack of charisma... has not worked well for her” (45:58).

New Jersey: Mikie Sherrill vs Jack Ciattarelli

• John analyzes the surprise competitiveness in New Jersey, noting issues like energy price spikes, Democratic malaise, and surging GOP support.
• Eliana references a Nate Silver analysis indicating a significant 2024 Trump shift among Hispanic and Asian voters in NJ, highlighting that tonight’s results could signal enduring coalitional change.

Notable Quotes

• “Spanberger is not the future of the party... there have been no viral clips... her mishandling of questions... have betrayed to me a deep fear of the left.” —Eliana Johnson (41:09/43:30)
• “My spidey sense says that Ciattarelli is going to win because this state is moving toward the Republicans. Sherrill has not run a particularly good race.” —John Podhoretz (57:47)
• “When you then ask [voters], ‘Are the Democrats a viable alternative?’ They’re like, no, we don’t like them either." —Christine Rosen (58:25)

6. The New York City Mayoral Race: Cuomo, Mamdani, and Republican Spoilers (58:37–71:47)

• John outlines the peculiar dynamics of the mayoral contest between progressive Zoran Mamdani, establishment-independent Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. He analyzes recent polling, record voter turnout, and the role of Republican spoiler votes.
• The hosts warn that Mamdani’s brand of Democratic Socialism—as promoted by organizations like DSA and CAIR—would swiftly radicalize the city’s political culture, especially regarding policing and protest.
• Christine criticizes the failure of local media and Cuomo’s campaign to adequately inform voters, noting “the Democratic Socialists of America notion is to subvert democracy peacefully... and then we do what our agenda is.” (68:42)
• Abe and John agree: even if Mamdani is blocked on legislation, cultural changes—including surges in anti-Semitism and crime—would arrive “immediate and dark.” (71:47)

Notable Quotes

• “He comes across like a bumbling Inspector Clouseau type. But, you know, as a politician, he’s a goon… when he has to… talk in front of people, he comes across like a bumbling stumble bum, inarticulate, unsure of himself.” —John Podhoretz (67:13)
• “If Mamdani wins… it’s going to transform your city pretty radically if he’s able to even do a third of what he’s claimed.” —Christine Rosen (69:57)
• "He is going to ruin [the NYPD] on day one simply by being mayor." —John Podhoretz (70:09)
• “The change on the culture of the city will be immediate and dark… anti-Semitism, protest culture, all of that misdemeanor criminality that is going to happen regardless.” —Abe Greenwald (71:47)

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• On Dick Cheney’s legacy:
  • "He was more reserved, but such an articulate and capable defender of the president.” —Eliana Johnson (06:18)
  • “[Cheney] told Patrick Leahy to go F yourself... That became, you know, a minor controversy at the time." —Eliana Johnson (15:06)
• On Charlotte politics:
  • “Spanberger sat, stood there and said nothing. And I don’t think she went blank.” —John Podhoretz (47:12)
  • “She deliberately said nothing. She stared off into the middle distance like she was posing for a portrait painting. It was bizarre.” —Christine Rosen (47:05)
• On Democratic hypocrisy:
  • “Holder is now embracing gerrymandering, and nobody’s calling him on this, nobody’s calling him on the hypocrisy at all.” —Eliana Johnson (29:02)
• On the cultural consequences of a Mamdani mayoralty:
  • "He is going to ruin [the NYPD] on day one simply by being mayor." —John Podhoretz (70:09)
  • "The change on the culture of the city will be immediate and dark." —Abe Greenwald (71:47)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:00] – Remembrance and appraisal of Dick Cheney's legacy
• [16:30] – California redistricting referendum and partisan gamesmanship
• [23:49] – Gerrymandering hypocrisy and post-2000 election lawfare
• [40:42] – Virginia: Winsome Sears vs. Abigail Spanberger breakdown
• [54:56] – New Jersey: Mikie Sherrill vs. Jack Ciattarelli discussion
• [58:37] – New York City: Cuomo, Mamdani, Sliwa, and the stakes for the city

Book Recommendation

(73:43)

• Christine Rosen recommends Drift and Mastery by Walter Lippmann (1914):
  • “He spent his entire intellectual career wrestling with this tension between should experts tell the masses what to do? Is that good or bad? And what about human nature?” (74:04)
  • She lauds Lippmann’s faith “in human nature and in the American people's dislike of utopian schemes” as relevant inspiration amid today's hyper-politicized landscape.

Final Thoughts

This episode of The Commentary Magazine Podcast mixes political nostalgia, acute analysis of the day’s most consequential elections, and an elegy for both a generation of principled public service and a lost political civility. Listeners come away with a rich sense of what is at stake in 2025’s elections—both in terms of concrete power and the less tangible, but deeply consequential, cultural and moral climate of American politics.