Joe Gandelman
Joe Gandelman is a multifaceted American professional best known in two main capacities:
As a comic ventriloquist and family entertainer — He is a San Diego-based performer who has been doing full-time shows for over 30 years (as of recent updates) across the U.S. and Canada. He specializes in interactive ventriloquism with a large cast of puppet characters, performing at fairs, festivals, libraries, schools, corporate events, casinos, churches, private parties, and more. He also offers virtual shows, walk-around entertainment, and workshops teaching ventriloquism and puppetry (he's been called "the unsung Johnny Appleseed of ventriloquism" by some observers). Before switching careers, he spent nearly 20 years in the newspaper business.
As a journalist, editor, and centrist commentator, Joe's balanced commentary and commitment to providing a forum for reasoned, thoughtful opinion help him stand out amidst the din of the blogosphere.
He is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Moderate Voice (themoderatevoice.com), an online hub focused on balanced, centrist/independent perspectives on politics and current events. He has been recognized by CNN's John Avlon as one of the top 25 most influential centrist columnists and commentators. Gandelman has a long background in journalism, including freelance reporting overseas (for outlets like The Hindustan Times, Sydney Morning Herald, and others), work at U.S. newspapers (such as the Wichita Eagle-Beacon and San Diego Union), and syndicated columns like "Independent's Eye" through Cagle Cartoons syndicate. He has appeared as a pundit on CNN and MSNBC.
On X (formerly Twitter), he is active as @JoeGandelman, where he shares political commentary, links to The Moderate Voice articles, and observations on current events from a moderate/centrist viewpoint.
His articles and commentary have appeared in more than 50 publications, including the Christian Science Monitor, the Baltimore Sun, Miami Herald, San Diego Tribune, Sydney Morning Herald, and on NPR’s All Things Considered, among others. He has written for Pajamas Media, the Huffington Post, and wrote a weekly column for The Week, as well as a syndicated columnist for MSNBC's Cagle.com.
Interestingly, he has blended his careers at times (e.g., his LinkedIn highlights both writing/journalism and his ventriloquism work), and he has also appeared on TV in shows like Spy TV (2001). Overall, he stands out as someone who made a bold career pivot from journalism to entertainment while maintaining a strong presence in political commentary.
A complete list of Joe's reporting and commentary on current events in The Moderate Voice can be found here.
Follow Joe on Twitter @joegandelman .
