I am sitting in panel featuring Ted Sorensen (JFK's Senior Advisor and
"alter-ego") and Michael Eric Dyson (Georgetown professor of the hip
hop generation). They are full of knowledge. Sorensen's is largely
rooted in history and experience, and Dyson's is rooted largely in
study and also observation. Whatever your politics, there is plenty to
learn from these gentlemen and listening to them has been enlightening.
Unfortunately, it seems like we are at a point as a society where
everything is based on soundbites. It is always refreshing to hear
ideas discussed intelligently, and unfortunately, that opportunity does
not seem to present itself as much as it should.
The next panel includes John Podesta (former chief of staff for Bill
Clinton) and Arianna Huffington (new media expert and star). I realize
that in the last 30 minutes, I have heard from old school and new
school, hip hop and oldies, current and past.
I am reminded of the proverbial football coach who tells a player,
"Son, I've forgotten more about this sport than you'll ever know."
That's how I feel now. Ted Sorensen knows more about politics and
government in his pinky than I'll ever know, and his knowledge, coupled
with some other and interesting opinions, has provided for an
thoughtful afternoon. No yelling, no playing to the crowd. Even when
the participants disagreed, they did so respectfully and then discussed
the issues at hand in a civilized way. I just wish that we could have
more discussions like these.
Marc Mitchell is an attorney who has managed the financial, business, and legal affairs of several influential entertainment companies. Mitchell is the founder and CEO of Celebrifantasy, an online news portal and celebrity fantasy league, and the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Dominion Media, a film and TV production company. Until recently, he was also the Chief Operating Officer of UrbanDaddy, a leading online lifestyle publication. He is currently a member of the New York Finance Committee for Barack Obama.