The Commentary Magazine Podcast

Episode Title: Oh No! It's a...BALLROOM!!!!
Date: October 22, 2025
Host: John Podhoretz
Panelists: Abe Greenwald, Seth Mandel, Matthew Continetti

Episode Overview

In this episode, the Commentary panel delves into a trio of headline-grabbing topics: the collapse of Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner amid scandal, the political theater surrounding Trump's plan to build a ballroom in the White House, and the government shutdown's roots and impact. The team also punctures media narratives about famine in Gaza and examines the lackluster mayoral campaign of Andrew Cuomo in New York City. Throughout, they dissect the political motivations, media misfires, and broader implications with trademark wit and skepticism.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Graham Platner Scandal & “Nazi Guardrails”

(Begins ~04:26)

• Graham Platner — a supposed Maine oysterman with populist flair — was revealed to have a Nazi tattoo and a politically misleading background.

  • Platner's apparent rise and spectacular fall is likened to the “Avenatti arc” (Michael Avenatti, the quick-rise, quick-fall media figure), only even swifter (~06:33).
  • The panel criticizes how “insta-celebrity” politicians with carefully curated, often false images can readily mislead the political world.
  • Notably, elements of the left (e.g., Bernie Sanders, Pod Save America crew) attempted to rationalize or downplay the tattoo scandal.

  Notable Quote:
  “He is a perfect paradigm of this world, of the insta social media political celebrity...with absolutely no reason behind the sensation except for some incredibly vague image that he projects.”
  – John Podhoretz (06:01)

• Marginal Candidates and Party Guardrails

  • Discussion about how both parties have allowed “Jerry Springer guest level” characters into or close to positions of power (e.g., George Santos, Marjorie Taylor Greene), but at least “no Nazis” remains a functional political guardrail (12:24).
  • The Democratic establishment’s strategic move to clear the Senate field for Gov. Janet Mills is dissected, with oppo drops against Platner seen as a sign of party survival instinct.

  Notable Quote:
  “At least we have one guardrail, no Nazis... We are reconstructing the guardrails.”
  – John Podhoretz (12:24)

  • Defense of Platner by some left-wing media figures is mocked as out of touch with actual working class culture.

  Notable Quote:
  “Do you want an authentic working class candidate or not?...We don't know any working class people in our lives...But we presume they're dirty and probably smell like shellfish.”
  – (Abe or Seth, 15:38)

2. Government Shutdown & Blame Game

(Begins ~22:05, Returns at 32:04)

• Comparison to Past Shutdowns:

  • The panel notes the eerie parallels with the 2013 Republican-led shutdown, but observes that the media and public are less engaged with government shutdowns than before.
  • They argue that governance itself has become a “non-story” compared to the drama of the Trump era.

• Current Impasse:

  • Republicans, the panel asserts, simply want a “clean continuing resolution,” i.e., keep the status quo, while Democrats are holding out for policy extensions—specifically, the expansion of Obamacare subsidies established during the pandemic.
  • The panel frames Democrats as instigating the shutdown for political leverage, while simultaneously stoking fears about Republicans as irredeemable “Nazis.”

  Notable Quote:
  “All the Republicans want is a clean continuing resolution. It's the Democrats who want policy changes.”
  – John Podhoretz (32:04)

  • John Fetterman appears as a pragmatic lone voice, suggesting Democrats destroy the filibuster to reopen government.

• Shutdown Fatigue:

  • Government shutdowns have become so frequent that their political potency is blunted, and the panel claims neither side will extract much leverage from the standoff.
  • The off-year elections in Virginia and New Jersey are discussed as reflecting Democratic weaknesses, not opportunities for a comeback.

  Notable Quote:
  “The dynamic is: can [Democrats] survive?”
  – John Podhoretz (42:54)

3. "Oh No! It's a...BALLROOM!!!!" – White House Renovation Outrage

(Begins ~22:05, Peaks at 27:11)

• Media Overreaction:

  • Media (e.g., Politico), liberal commentators, and even Stephen King are lampooned for melodramatic responses to planned demolition of part of the White House “East Wing” to construct a ballroom.

  Notable Quotes:

  • “It's not like 1814 when they rebuilt the White House after the War of 1812...It’s an extension from the building.”
    – John Podhoretz (22:34)

  • “Our men in fighting uniform have died to protect this country and now they're putting a ballroom in the White House.”
    – Paraphrasing Stephen King, John Podhoretz (28:23)

  • The panel argues it is eminently sensible for the White House to have a modern ballroom for official events (“every president after him will be thankful”), chiding those who treat the renovation as symbolic desecration.

• Trump's PR Genius:

  • Trump’s ability to create “squirrel!” distractions is praised: “His look, hey, squirrel talents of turning people to obsess over trivialities rather than take him on, on matters that are genuine controversies is like nothing I've ever seen.” (30:18)
  • The group highlights that serious policy issues—like the government shutdown—are pushed aside in favor of “optics” stories.

4. Media Disinformation: The Gaza “Famine”

(Begins ~48:08)

• The Narrative vs. The Numbers:

  • The UN and international organizations predicted over 10,000 famine deaths in Gaza post-war; actual official (even by Hamas) records show only 192.
  • The panel accuses the major press and NGOs of distorting definitions and metrics for “famine” to generate headlines and pressure Israel, then quietly ignoring the absence of mass starvation when numbers come in.
  • The group expresses cynicism that this will impact ongoing anti-Israel/pro-Palestinian rhetoric.

  Notable Quote:
  “The media is going to be more Hamas than Hamas because they’re not going to report this. And Hamas is reporting this!”
  – (Seth or Abe, 51:29)

5. NYC Mayoral Politics: The Cuomo Meltdown

(Begins ~54:04)

• Andrew Cuomo’s Stumbling Campaign:

  • Cuomo's lack of message, inertia, and absence of clarity or energy are dissected as an “eye opening” display of incompetence.
  • Mamdani, framed as a “communist jihadi” with slick presentation skills, is poised to win not just by talent but by sheer luck and the failings of his opponents.
    • Cuomo’s only real message: threatening to leave New York if he loses, is mocked.

  Notable Quote:
  “Andrew Cuomo threatening to leave the state if he loses, by the way, is like, don't threaten me with a good time.”
  – (Seth, 56:20)

  • The segment connects national themes: the dangers of candidate quality and the Democratic tendency to define themselves around opposition-only messaging (mirrored in their treatment of Trump).

• Missed Opportunities:

  • The panel bemoans that in a city as target-rich for political theater as New York, Cuomo has failed to capitalize, and Mamdani’s rise is as much about the luck of his competition as the resonance of his anti-Israel, socialist message.

  Notable Quote:
  “He is committing blood libels against the Jewish people and against Israel. And he is waltzing into office as the new face of the Democratic Party.”
  – John Podhoretz (63:24)

6. Reflections on Media, Propaganda, and Political Reality

(Sprinkled throughout)

• Social media’s attention span and ability to inflame or distort political perceptions is a recurring theme, especially regarding anti-Israel messaging.
• The Democratic silence or retreat from Israel-related discourse is framed as an implicit admission of miscalculation.
• Off-topic but memorable: observation that Scorsese’s Raging Bull features De Niro/Pesci interactions modeled on Abbott and Costello routines (75:22).

Memorable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• On Platner’s Insta-Fame and Insta-Downfall:
  “He is a perfect paradigm of this world, of the insta social media political celebrity who somehow engineers himself into a sensation with absolutely no reason behind the sensation...”
  – John (06:01)

• On Political “Guardrails”:
  “At least we have one guardrail, no Nazis... We are reconstructing the guardrails.”
  – John (12:24)

• Democratic/Electoral Cynicism:
  “Do you want an authentic working class candidate or not? … But we presume they're dirty and probably smell like shellfish.”
  – (Abe or Seth, 15:38)

• On Congressional Stalemate:
  “All the Republicans want is a clean continuing resolution. It's the Democrats who want policy changes.”
  – John (32:04)

• On White House Renovation Panic:
  “Our men in fighting uniform have died to protect this country. And now they’re putting a ballroom in the White House.”
  – John paraphrasing Stephen King (28:23)

• On “Famine” Misinformation:
  “The media is going to be more Hamas than Hamas because they’re not going to report this. And Hamas is reporting this!”
  – (Seth or Abe, 51:29)

• On Cuomo’s Campaign Collapse:
  “Andrew Cuomo threatening to leave the state if he loses, by the way, is like, don't threaten me with a good time.”
  – (Seth, 56:20)

• On the Dangers of Negative-Only Messaging:
  “All they are doing is reinforcing the sentiment among that portion of the country that already hates Trump and finds him a menace.”
  – Abe (62:57)

• Unexpected Cinema Insight:
  “The Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro interactions in ‘Raging Bull’...are all based on Abbott and Costello.”
  – John (75:22)

Segment Timestamps

• 04:26 - Graham Platner “Nazi tattoo” scandal and the failure of political vetting.
• 14:05 - How fringe candidates get close to, or into, power.
• 22:05 - Media obsession over White House ballroom versus government shutdown reality.
• 32:04 - Democrats and Republicans spar over blame for government shutdown and Obamacare expansion.
• 48:08 - The Gaza “famine” narrative: predictions vs. reality.
• 54:04 - Andrew Cuomo’s campaign struggles and Mamdani’s rise in NYC mayoral politics.
• 75:22 - On “Raging Bull” and comic influences in serious cinema.

Takeaways for Listeners

• The episode provides a sharp, provocative survey of current political absurdities, from social media “heroes” self-destructing to the way old guardrails against extremism are fraying.
• The panel stresses skepticism of media narratives, especially when numbers contradict headlines (e.g., Gaza famine).
• Longstanding themes recur: the erosion of competent governance, performative politics, the fickleness of social media attention, and the inability or unwillingness of party establishments to control their own extremes.
• With humor and a sense of exasperation, the Commentary cast reminds the audience to look past distractions (“ballroom!”) to the real mechanics of political life in America 2025.

For those seeking clarity (and laughs) amid the chaos of contemporary American politics, this episode offers a bracing, critical, and often entertaining perspective.