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Subscribe to RSSTheir event attracted scores of journalists, high-profile musical talent, and - if Comedy Central's "unofficial estimate" is in the right ballpark -- well over 200,000 people.
But did Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert accomplish what they wanted?
"We're proud of ourselves. We're proud of the show we did," Stewart told reporters at a press conference after the rally. "For us, the success of it was the execution of the idea and the intention."
The two comedians mostly steered away from questions from the press about the political implications of the event, repeatedly characterizing the afternoon's mixture of comedy, musical performances, and an appeal for political reasonableness as "a show."
"We wanted to do really good show for people who took the time to come out and see us," said Stewart.
The two comedians also batted away questions about their role in American politics, saying that the Beltway mentality of "who's up and who's down" does not apply to their schtick.
"Our currency is not this town's currency," Stewart said. "We're not running for anything. We don't have a constituency. We do television shows for people who like them," he said, jokingly adding that the success of their cable "faux news" shows allows network Comedy Central to "continue to sell beer to young people."
Stewart pointedly declined to urge people to vote. When asked whether or not he should have used the stage to urge people to participate in the midterm elections, he replied, "I think people should do what moves them. That's not my place to make that choice for them. That's theirs."
The "Daily Show" funnyman hinted that he had some regrets about referring to President Barack Obama as "dude" during a Wednesday interview, noting that he always engages in some Monday morning quarterbacking after sitting down with major guests.
"But I also, when King Abdullah of Jordan was on, I called him 'Broseph,'" he joked, "so it's just something I do."
Between the rally, the presidential interview, and the presence of international media at their public appearances, the mantle of political relevance has been newly thrust upon the two comedians -- regardless of how openly they welcome it.
But Stewart argues that he does not use his comedic persona as a shroud or an excuse to shrug off criticism of the content of the shows that he and Colbert produce.
"I'm really proud that I'm a comedian. I think it's hard," he said.
"That's not a dodge. That's pride."
Leave a Comment:
I watched the rally. I would have loved to have been there. It was a great show, a great performance. It was less political than Bruce Springsteen's rally I attended in Philadelphia two years ago. Fearmongering is part of your business model and I'm frankly sick of it. How about you take it down a notch? (Great book on this is The Science of Fear by Daniel Gardner.)
I was at the rally with my family and friends and it was wonderful! There were so many people! It's a pity that (as was beautifully pointed out) that the 'main stream media' were to 'afraid' to attend! I hope they at least acknowledge this rally for what it was and NOT undermine the message!
I hope the rally gets the 18-29 year-olds to vote. An article in Psychology Today casts doubt on whether they will turn out to vote, even if they did turn out for the rally. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201010/will-american-voters-succumb-complaining-learned-helplessness-in-2010
Jon & Stephen - job well done.
Although I am 80 and don't necessarily enjoy that music I thought the idea
was fantastic and I watched every minute. Congratulations for some sanity.
Awesome, Elaine. And as a 39 year old woman, I have to say I did not understand a thing with the first band that played!
But seeing Mavis, Yousef (Cat Stevens), Tony Bennet sing was amazing.
I, for one, am happy to hear of a lady that has lived a lot longer than me watching a show to help restore our sanity!
Thank you Elaine for watching the rally whether you like the music or not. As a 53 year old woman, I hope I can grow up to be like you some day. 80 years old and still open to new ideas, and I agree with you on the first band. I did, however, like the OJays. Thanks for your support for the future of our nation.
I watched in the early morning hours, over the net. Live in Australia. It was wonderful to see happy faces on screen for a change.
I have never been a fan of Kid Rock (for some reason I thought he was a rightie)... anyway that song with Sherly Crowe knocked my socks OFF!
Elaine, Glad to hear another oldie enjoyed the rally too! I'm 61 and couldn't agree more about the first music act, but loved the whole "Train" battle of the bands performance! I think this whole argument about whether it was meant to be political or not is just silly. It was successful because it just got people to pause for a moment to realize how insane our lives and culture have become!! And after how many concerts could I sit down and thorough enjoy with my 19 year old son! :-)
When my gram was 80, she told me that the Beatles' Yesterday was the best song she had heard in a long time, learned to sing it and we'd do a duet. I love John Legend (64, called white, but I'm a mutt) and The Roots were rockin'. Even sane righties are thinking like Kidd Rock. If you noted the montage of hyperbole, it included some of my favs: Olbermann and Ed as well as the Fox people. They did try to build bridges. That was the whole trip behind the "train" battle: Peace Train/Crazy Train/Love Train. We marched and stopped a War, got rid of LBJ and brought equality (well, it's still a road) using music. We Shall Overcome - even if we lose a few seats on Tuesday - We Shall Overcome.
Iit was a fun and entertaining - way to go Jon Stewart! as a side note I must say that It's sad that the most impartial news source these days is a comedy show.
What "news" did you learn from this (their words) "show we did"?
If you have to ask, then obviously this group is not high on your list. I think the rally was wonderful. Both men and all the attendees have reason to be proud of what they accomplished. Beck's rally served one purpose - call attention to his anti Obama, anti American views. Listen to what your politicians are saying, McConnell: "our only goal next year will be to make Obama a one term president." I just think there are so many more important issues facing this nation. I find it hard to believe that anyone could vote for a party that has done and worse yet has promised to do if they regain control. I'll take the "Restore sanity crowd any day. ..and you can bet I will vote democratics this election - again.
i meant the daily show GARY!, not the rally. The rally was just entertaining, the show is impartial news satire. do you even watch?
I watched part of it and thought it was great. A nice change from all the mind-numbing nonnsense on TV these days. I was raised in a Republican household and I'm sad to say that its mostly the GOP who is doing the fear-mongering. Jon did an excellent job of pointing out that most of us out here in the "real world" are working together just fine and that it IS possible to see good in everyone, including Obama.
That's only because the GOP is out of power...for now anyway. Back when it was the Dems as the "loyal opposition" there was plenty of fear-mongering and shrill political attacks.
Pitch perfect! Entertaining and responsibly so. It was a welcome reminder of the basic goodness and common sense of the mainstream American people despite hard times. Well done!
Was it politics or comedy? Does it really matter? It was a good show, lots of people gathered, and everyone seemed to have a good time. That's what really matters.
Is it soup yet?
I think something that has been overlooked is the power of honesty. There were lovely, and very funny, moments when it was obvious that Jon and Stephen were flying by their collective (so to speak) seat of their pants. How nice to see the semi-scripted. And how nice to see the very human effort.
I missed the show... It's a right wing ultraconservative, cable and TV Guide conspiracy to deny us access to the political satire of Emperor Stewart and King Colbert.
I live in Australia and saw it on C-span. Why didn't you?
Because Robert wasn't smart enough to figure it out, so he had to blame a group that had nothing to do with the rally instead of himself. Maybe the Government needed to tell him like most other Democrats in this country.
Cindy,
What world are you in it must not be the world that 60 percent of the people are in. You must have a job, more than 10% of your friends do not, that is not change we can count on. Nice try it takes the left to put comemians out their because they can not run on record. We need to take the country to the center, that is were most of the country is at.
Obama is an alien from outer space plotting to enslave us all. It's so good to know that reasonable people such as you and I are on to his evil plans.
Actually, No, the center is where President Obama IS.
Please learn to write a coherent sentence and to spell. Then you can comment
CarolAnn 61: Meow!
Only the literate comments allowed? Sounds like a Jim Crow literacy test to me. I question NoHope's assessment of where the middle is (I suspect his middle is pretty far right), but a typo does not disqualify his opinion. I think maybe reactions like yours (and far more extreme ones, to be sure) were what this rally was about.
The fear has always had but one purpose; to skew the relative center to appear more right than it actually is. Most people in the country are fairly progressive (live and let live) about social issues and pragmatic about fiscal issues (they don't think healthcare is a communist plot). I had the opportunity to live abroad in the U.K. for a year and I was shocked that the Tories (U.K.'s conservative party) was actually a lot closer to our Democrats.
Conservatives here whine, pander, pout and fearmonger until they actually start gaining traction on hilarious lies...e.g. NPR is liberal. The problem is when you are a histrionic arch conservative even reality and truth has a left wing bias.
It's easy to scare the uninformed, isn't it.
BlackFriar, we all make typos, but that guy was babbling incoherently.
Cindy says "I'm sad to say that its mostly the GOP who is doing the fear-mongering. Jon did an excellent job of pointing out that most of us out here in the "real world" are working together just fine and that it IS possible to see good in everyone, including Obama."
Funny - when Bush was President, and even now, 2 years later, the nasty, vitrol, namecalling, being blamed for every evil in the world, the unending conspiracy theories all from the lunatic left. Now we hear the unending fearmongering by democrats (they want to take your social security and your healthcare away, etc..) seems to have escaped your view.
And did you see the nasty signs showing Republicans with Hitler mustaches?
So much for the lying liberals and their "can't we bring it down a notch" BS.
Bush let 2655 of us die on 9/11, on his watch after being warned by the CIA. He should have assumed Cheney was up to something bad. Damn right we suspect him of all kinds of evil. Jeb didn't help him steal the election so that he could do good things for the majority of us.
Did you bother to read the Hitler mustache signs?
You have proof of that Paul? Really?? geezzzzzz................
Proof of what? None of that is even in dispute.
great rally,amazing, all the people that were there for love and respect!proud to be an american.you listen to all the hate mongering,you start losing hope.restored my hope in humanity
I loved it. Something for the haters to think about. I hope they do.
Whether Jon Stewart likes it or not, he is the most sane political pundit in America, which is a sad statement considering he is a comedian and not a "serious journalist". At least he admits it's a "show" unlike some of his competitors like Beck, O'Reilly and Limbaugh who pretend to have America's best interests at heart when in fact all they are doing is a "show".
And not very good shows, at that. I have started asking merchants who are playing their "shows" on the radio to please turn it off if they want me to stay in the store long enough to make a purchase. I would like to suggest that if everyone did that, their ratings might start to show the power of the pocketbook.
Going to Texas, So much for Capitalism AND freedom of speech. Like so many you are opposed to anyone that does not think like you, so sad.
Luvenia, you missed Going To Texas's point. Merchants have every right to play whatever station they choose. Just like Going To Texas has the right to shop where ever he/she likes. If you're going to make me sit in a restaurant filled with cigar smoke, I'm going to eat elsewhere. If you're going force me to listen to political ideology that I don't agree with while shopping then I'm going to shop elsewhere. By asking the merchant to change the station, Going To Texas is giving him the opportunity to keep his/her business. As a Merchant, I would rather have someone spending money in my store than having them walking out without knowing why.
 Call me what you will, I am so pleased that Stewart/Colbert drew a much bigger crowd than Beck's sorry excuse for a rallye. I believe the same turnout will be reflected on Election day. I refuse to believe the American people will put the people who stole the equity in our homes, our 401k's, and our jobs, back in power. Their secret foreign contributions cant buy our democracy.
During the Bush Admin, weren't the Dem's in control of Congress? Oh ... you forgot that fact?
We are not a democracy ... never have been - we're a Republic. Civics 101.
The Dems were in control of congress 2 out of 8 years of the bush admin. Seems like u got that rightwing memory problem. And yes we know the rightwingers don't like democracy.
only the last two years, Carole, or did you forget that?
Carole, its said that you know what Conflict of Interest meant and your only response is to bring up a technicality in definition as some sort of argument against the content and meaning of Conflict's point. We are all average Americans that have not all sat through a Civics class like you. Don't call out others' ignorance while you display ignorance yourself. To make the implication that our Republic does not encompass many key similarities to a representative democracy is misleading on your part. A democracy does not provide for rights to the minority. So you can almost say we are a democracy that also provides for certain rights to the minority, which essentially defines what a Republic is (without getting too technical for that average American).
I apologize to Carole, she made two points not one. The other was a mention of the democrats in control of congress under Bush. Of course she did not also mention that Republicans controlled congress under Bush too...for for 6 of the 8 years at that.
Yeah, except it didn't draw a fraction of what Beck's rally drew. You funny libs.
Can't wait to see yon on the outside looking in when the grown ups take over and finally restore some sanity to DC - if that is possible.
If not, Obama will continue the insane spending, the incessant name calling to all who disagree (making his the most immature President in our nations history) and will guarantee his own 1-term status come 2012.
Paul, you make reference to the attendance at Beck's rally as if that is some measure of conservative success. Well I'll make one point here. You also mention "insane spending". I bet you consider Obama's stimulus bill to be a $800+ billion spending bill. But in fact about $300 billion or so is actually tax cuts which conservatives just love. But since you consider tax cuts to be "spending" in this case, then let me inform you that Bush's tax cuts were roughly $1.5 trillion in spending bills. Some estimates go much higher. So I ask, which party is the bigger spenders?
And when it comes to actual spending, atleast (as an example) Obama will spend to repair a bridge BEFORE it collapses.
Actually, the CBS people counters had a tally of 87K for Beck and 215K for Sanity, with overflow in bars around the Mall watching because of the crowds. Add in the 1100 watch-ins and the 22 satellite sanities and you have a few more. And that does not include those of us who sat at home because we are 99ers and couldn't afford the trip but watched the whole thing on our tv.
99ers?? I have to ask, if you're drawing 99 weeks of employment with equals almost 2 years, why couldn't these "99ers" go to a trade school or finish up school?
Maybe they did, that doesn't mean there is a job waiting for them when they are done, unless they want to move to China.
Paul-977599 is right, Bush was warned and his response to being briefed was (and I paraphrase)
"Now that you have covered your A$$ you may leave".
It was a good show but did not address the 10% high unemployment and the crushing national debt. Staying the course with our incompetent democratic leaders in the White House and Congress is the wrong course.
I believe that we got crushed by the National Debt under the watch of the Republicans and George W. Bush, who sold our country a bill of goods that got us on track for the largest loss of jobs since the "trickle down" economy of Ronald Reagan.
liberalkat,
It was not Democrats who put us in this hole. Some of them helped, but it was Republicans who did most of the digging.
@liberalkat, I think you may have missed the point. Go back and read the article. This was NEVER intended to be a political rally.
I'm so tired of having to explain stuff to people. Really simple stuff. But I don't go insane on their butts, either.
Sorry, liberalkat, it wasn't a political rally. That's why it was so fun. We all know what the unemployment rate is, and I'm glad it wasn't about that. It was about restoring sanity to our cultural, something you tea baggers don't understand. All you do is preach to divide us, this was about how we need to come together to solve our problems. As your gang has said over and over, NO we won't compromise, help, solve problems or do anything sane. Get it?
If the thugs win, then you 'ain't seen nuthin' yet'!
Um...the show was not about that addressing all the bad. It was not a political speech from someone trying to win your vote! And Jon did say that we are in "hard times, not end times" that was the extent of his political speech. No one in the news should be discussing their opinions. Just the facts, ma'am, just the facts.
Wait, you got it wrong. The Rally to Keep Fear Alive is where those comments belonged. But not being a political rally, that might not have been the place either. Take it down a notch. We're all painfully aware of the problems of this country. Let's focus on what we can build together, not tear apart.
Not a political rally? Tell that to the name calling liberal morons who attended and spoke.
i guess "moron" isn't name calling? Paul F? what name calling did the liberal "morons" who spoke use?
sheesh....who is not just fed up with people always trying to stir the pot and calling others names when they can't get their point across logically? Me!Me!
PaulF's attitude is a large part of the problem right now and EXACTLY what the rally was about. Tone it down, Paul.
 The importance of the event lies in the intent...to call attention to the national need to rachet the dialogue down and get down to the business of thoughtfully choosing someone to represent me in DC that lives like, talks like, and thinks like I do. The hate mongering, trash talking, and dishonest characterization of their opponents is not serving the Republican party well...
I was moved to tears by kid rock (a very out hawk/republican, & sheryl crow, a very out/pacifist- liberal, singing together abouthow we americans have to come together & care for each other.That is what The Rally was all about for me and my family & friends.
Today's event is what this country is all about -- Americans coming together for a common cause, whether it be finding others who are sane or putting a man on the moon. The politicians who have caused all of our problems (and that's all of them) can learn a lot from the seismic wave created by the people on the mall today.
Was absolutely awesome! We shut down DC today, I would have to put my personal estimate at 300,000, it was complete pandemonium (there were still waves of people coming out of the Metro an hour after it had started, and by 2pm over 370,000 people had ridden the Metro already, a record smash). The musical performances were incredible, watching Yusuf Islam and Ozzy Osbourne perform together is once-in-a-lifetime.
We're also proud Jon & Stephen. The balance of how the show went is what you walk away feeling like. Felt like an American today! I remember when I walked away from watching Glenn Beck in DC, I just felt like I stepped in something.
Me too mikemather. They shouldn't let those geese nest by the reflecting pool!
So all the hateful Nazi signs / Hitler like in nature were all part of making you feel good? The name calling, the hate, all part of your liberal insanity - with the fearmongering at fever pitch from the left - think I'm wrong? Visit any liberal website who is running for office and you will find twisted lies, unending despicable fearmongering - sorry, but the only folks who believe you are your loony leftie nutjobs.
Paul F:
One of the antennae on your aluminum hat has fallen off -- AGAIN!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!@Maverick...
What a disgraceful collection of people that attended from legalize POT to the NAMBA to the Hitler signs and pro rape signs.
Well if we can find common cause then we can find common ground. I just don't see it happening right now
And "right now" is when we need it most. What a shame :-(
Thanks to those injecting their overheated rhetoric into Stewart and Colbert's noble attempt at a non-partisan gathering...you really, really don"t get it...:)
It was an excellent display of light hearted comedy at its finest! But I must admit it was second stage compared to the comedy troupe that has occupied the house and the senate the past four years. That act will make you laugh until you cry! Two big thumbs up Jon and Steve! Well done!
Well Jon and Steve had to step up their game with this rally after they almost got bumped so Comedy Central can start televising congress.
It was nice for a change, to see america represented for what it really is, a melting pot of cultures, religious beliefs, and different age groups. Wonderful show Jon and Steven!