Yesterday at the Time-CNN "Politics 2008" Summit, some of the sharpest political insights came at the pop-culture and comedy panel, "The Election and Pop Culture: Strategies for the Broadband, Late Night, Talk & Comedy Television." Featuring comedian Mo Rocca, BarelyPolitical.com founder (and "Obama Girl" creator) Ben Relles, 23/6 president (and our co-worker and pal) Sarah Bernard, Jib-Jab co-founder Gregg Spiridellis, award-winning documentarian (currently working on a McCain-Abramoff film) Alex Gibney, CNN arts correspondent Lola Ogunnaike, and moderator Josh Tyrangiel, editor of Time.com and assistant managing editor at the magazine.
Rocca was an especially vocal (and enthusiastic) member of the panel, with some funny observations on Sarah Palin's potential for longevity, but here was the comment that struck me the most: His regret that legendary CBS journalist Ed Bradley wasn't around to cover this election. Bradley died of leukemia in 2006.
Also: Lola Ogunnaike pre-games the Letterman-McCain matchup on Thursday (a "win-win" for Letterman), plus each panelist's choice on their favorite campaign-comedy moment. Their choices are interesting. Also of note were Gibney's comments on his current project, and how that involves previous-day's panelist Ralph Reed (he was in the middle of talking as I walked in from the Dan Rather/Howie Kurtz panel, alas no notes. Hopefully they will put those clips online; if they do they will be here). Anyhow, some good stuff below: