US News

Thousands 'Rally to Restore Sanity' in Washington

Oct 31, 2010, 13:49 GMT

Comedians Jon Stewart (R) and Stephen Colbert (L) hold their joint rally, named "Restore Sanity And/Or Fear" on the National Mall in Washington, DC on 30 October 2010. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO

   Washington - Tens of thousands of people massed at Washington's National Mall on Saturday to attend a rally hosted by two comedians who have made their names by mocking the US political establishment.

   The rally took place just three days ahead of crucial midterm elections in a hotly contested campaign season that is expected to give Republicans a huge boost in Congress.

   Polls show they are set to regain control of the House of Representatives and mount a strong challenge to Democratic control of the Senate.

   Comedian Jon Stewart, who hosts the Comedy Central's spoof news programme the Daily Show, said he was holding his 'Rally to Restore Sanity' in an effort to restore civility to the campaign.

   'We can have animus and not have enemies,' he told the crowd.

   At the same time and stage near the footsteps of the Capitol Building, partner Steven Colbert, who portrays a rabble-rousing right wing news anchor on the Colbert Report, held the 'March to Keep Fear Alive.'

   The event was kicked off with live music under clear blue skies and moderate temperatures, followed by some comedic acts in front of a mostly young and left-leaning audience.

   On the festive Halloween weekend, many people came in costumes. Some held signs poking fun at conservatives who accuse President Barack Obama of pursuing a socialist agenda.

   'Does my ability to spell make me a socialist?' asked one sign.

   One key aspect of Stewart's rally was said to be to promote dialogue and tolerance across the political spectrum, a point even Republican conservatives were willing accept.

   'Both sides have to be able to take a joke,' said Connie Ryan, a self-described conservative from Pittsburgh. Ryan was meeting a left-leaning friend from New Jersey. Linda Moskowitz said she was there to highlight the ability of both sides to get along.

   'It's why we're here. Because we talk to each other, not shout at each other,' she said.

   One of the first acts of the rally was to teach the audience to 'laugh politely.'

   The rally has become an election season sensation and garnered national attention, including live coverage on news channels, and has exposed the influence that Stewart and Colbert have in the political dialogue.

   Obama appeared as a guest on Stewart's show on Wednesday.

   The three-hour rally raised questions about politics and comedy. Stewart insisted that it was all about the laughter.

   Despite his claims, was it trying to make a serious political statement? Was it a joke that snowballed out of control? Or was it just a publicity stunt for Stewart and Colbert to pump up their already impressive ratings?

   Stewart came on to the stage, followed by the national anthem.

   'Are you ready to restore sanity?' Stewart screamed to a cheering crowd, then told them they dare not litter on the National Mall.

   Democratic leaders reportedly asked Stewart to cancel the event, fearing that it could divert attention from the need to galvanize the party's voters days before the election.

   Yet with the rally going ahead undeterred, Democrats were also hoping to channel the energies of the predominantly young crowd.

   A mass mailing from Democrats this week invited attendees to the party's national headquarters after the rally to volunteer for a 'phone bank' and lobby crucial voters.

   The party is facing a tough challenge as Republicans stoke the fires of economic frustration in a bid to win back control of Congress from the Democrats.

   Stewart, whose satire has made him one of the most influential media stars in the country, proposed the idea after right-wing icons Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin held their own rally in August on the Washington Mall.

   That was a conservative Tea Party event, and it seems there is nothing Stewart likes better than ridiculing the logical absurdities that he sees in many of that grassroots organization's ideas.

   Stewart insisted his rally was apolitical, a venue for moderates to vent frustration at the extremist rhetoric and confrontational style that has recently dominated American politics.

   Stewart said the rally was for people who are 'tired of their reflection in the media as being a divided country and a country that's ideological and conflicted and fighting, this is for those people.'

   'Republicans love America. They just seem to hate about 50 per cent of the people who live in it,' Stewart told CNN's Larry King Live.

   'Democrats, for their thing, it's always: They love this country, they just somehow wish it were a different country. With Democrats, it's like, 'America is the greatest country in the world. (But) have you seen Finland's health care system?''