Few people can keep up with the fast-paced sarcasm of Jon Stewart on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” but Mo Rocca does it night after night — and his boundless energy doesn’t stop there.

Rocca has written and produced for the PBS children’s program, “Wishbone,” edited for the adult magazine “Perfect 10,” hosted CourtTV’s “The Smoking Gun” and served as a commentator on the popular VH1 series, “I Love the ’70s”and “I love the ’80s.”

Rocca recently spoke with the Daily about his career, his wrestling abilities and his endorsement of Principal Belding for the presidential race.

Aaron Ladage: Obviously, your popularity has a lot to do with being in front of the camera as senior political correspondent on “The Daily Show,” but you’ve been behind the scenes on everything from children’s television to an adult magazine. What did you learn from these experiences, and how did you balance the two?

Mo Rocca: Well, I learned the difference between silicone and saline. I’ve learned that a narrative matters more than anything else, even when you’re interviewing a topless model. The story she tells must be compelling.

AL: Anything else you’d like to add on that?

MR: No, that’s probably all that needs to be said on that.

AL: You’re an expert at the straight-faced interview, regardless of the story’s topic. How do you manage to not burst out laughing during some of your more, shall we say, “human interest” stories?

MR: Well, I think beneath it all, there’s some blatant, roiling anger at the world. I guess I must just have a very dark side. Somewhere along the line, I lost the ability to laugh.

AL: Do you have an inspiration for where you get this? In hard news, for example?

MR: Yeah — Jay Leno. No, I always admired Cronkite for the way he could keep a straight face during interviews when you knew he was just busting a gut inside.

AL: What has been your most interesting interview with “The Daily Show”?

MR: I loved interviewing a guy [named] Polka Joe Blaszewski. He was a guy that was a lover of polka music — angry at the Garfield comic strip, because Garfield the cat would ridicule polka music. I interviewed him and we somehow ended up getting into a role-playing situation where I was Garfield. I was holding a giant stuffed Garfield, and it devolved into a wrestling match.

AL: As in a full-on wrestling match?

MR: Yeah, yeah. His lip ended up bleeding and I felt terrible, because Polka Joe was an elderly man.

AL: I love “I Love the ’80s,” and “I Love the ’70s” seems to appeal to a generation that wasn’t even alive during that decade. Why do you think celebrities gushing about “He-Man” and Devo seem to be so popular?

MR: Weren’t we all shaped by “Battle of the Network Stars”? That’s where we all learned about competition. And if you don’t have me or Hal Sparks to comment on it, then you can’t possibly put it in proper historical context.

AL: You bear an eerie resemblance to Matthew Lesko …

MR: Who is that?

AL: The infamous “question mark man,” with the late-night infomercials?

MR: Ooh, I almost do …

AL: He does the financial stuff, how to get rich from the government?

MR: Does this person that you’re talking about wear glasses?

AL: Yes.

MR: I don’t know who that person is then, because I’m thinking of a guy who’s always telling you how to get rich, with the short brown hair …

AL: The question mark suit?

MR: I can barely remember, but I was wondering why I never got my own infomercial, and I guess it’s because he’s already filled that slot.

AL: A recent poll said the majority of Americans can’t name a Democratic candidate going into the Iowa caucuses, so let’s inform the public. Who’s your favorite Democratic candidate of the moment?

MR: I think that Gephardt is actually surprisingly interesting. You would think he would be so kind of tired, old news by now. Having been the house minority leader — the operative word here is minority there — for so long, and unable to turn that into a majority.I think that Bob Graham is interesting, even though he is sort of a dark horse.

But I think you’re most likely to see Dennis Haskins (Mr. Belding from “Saved By The Bell”) walk away with it.

AL: OK, interesting…

MR: That’s H-A-S-K-I-N-S. Haskins.