Why Do Radical U.S. Politicians Blame Jews? - with Jonah Goldberg and John Podhoretz

**Dan Senor** (0:02)
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**Jonah Goldberg** (0:50)
You are listening to an Ark Media podcast.
The vast majority of Americans hate the choices both parties are presenting to them. There's no external force to get them to sort of say, hey, you know what makes sense? Don't nominate, for the Democratic Party in New York, somebody who hates America, somebody who thinks Western civilization has gotta go, that thinks that Hamas was right on October 7th. You can go down an incredibly long list of things that some of these candidates who won in New York believe.

**John Podhoretz** (1:21)
What we're seeing here is the complete break from any conventional understanding of what a Washington politician is supposed to do, which is represent their district. The only way to make change is to force change through a hostile takeover.
The form that this is taking is radicalization.

**Dan Senor** (1:54)
It's 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 1st in New York City. It's 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1st in Israel. Earlier this week, you heard part one of my conversation with Jonah Goldberg and John Podhoretz on the autopsy of the Iran War. Now, heading into the July 4th weekend and the 250th anniversary of our independence, we are releasing part two of our conversation, which is not an autopsy, but rather a state of play of these extraordinary times we are living through, right now, in American politics, in American civic life, and in American history. Especially as our politics appear to be, well, cracking up, and as if the Mamdani and Democratic Socialists of America victories in New York City last week were not enough to make this conversation spicy, since we recorded there was another such election outcome in Colorado. This week, where a long-time Democratic incumbent Congresswoman was defeated by an insurgent primary challenger who had all but rationalized the 9-11 attacks, the October 7th Massacre, and even the firebombing of a free hostages protest in Colorado.
Jonah Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch and the host of The Remnant Podcast. He's also a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and author of a number of books, including Suicide of the West. John Podhoretz is editor-in-chief of Commentary Magazine and is host of the Commentary Magazine Podcast and author of the book Hell of a Ride. Jonah Goldberg and John Podhoretz on Why Do Radical US. Politicians Blame Jews? This is Call Me Back.
Hi, it's Dan Senor. Israel is heading into one of its most consequential elections, and this time, the whole world is watching closely. Hot takes and daily noise are pretty much guaranteed to populate your media diet. But as with any election, there's a deeper story about identity, religion, democracy and what kind of country Israelis want to live in. That's why Ark Media launched Israel Votes, a special initiative across Call Me Back, For Heaven's Sake and Ark News Daily. You'll hear from the leading candidates shaping the race, along with analysis and reporting from two of Israel's leading political analysts, Ark Media contributors Nadav Eyal and Amit Segal. Join us for Israel Votes, your front row seat to the election that could define Israel's future. Go to arkmedia.org/votes to watch and listen. See you there.
Welcome to part two of my conversation with John Podhoretz and Jonah Goldberg.
So, a decade ago, we saw a dramatic shift in Republican politics. Probably started before a decade ago, but it really became visible in ways that I think the three of us certainly didn't expect. Now, we're seeing something similar in the Democratic Party. Although, John, you argue in a piece you have coming out this week, that the shift occurred a long time ago. Again, just wasn't as concretely visible as it may be to us right now. So, I guess Jonah, let me start with you. What is your macro read of American politics at this point? Is what we're watching this crack up that occurred on the right and now looks like there's a crack up on the left? Or maybe we're overinterpreting the crack up on the left? How would you stitch all this together into a snapshot of where we are right now?