Their 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."