Two Comedy Central funnymen are apparently entering into the partisan political fray with rallies of their own in the nation’s capital.

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have set October 30 as the date for their respective rallies.

On Thursday night’s airing of “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” the comedian announced plans for a “Rally to Restore Sanity.”

“See you October 30 on the National Mall to spread the timeless message, ‘Take it down a notch for America,’ ” he said.
Stewart dubbed the event a “clarion call for rationality…”

On “The Colbert Report,” which airs immediately after Stewart’s show, Colbert fired back with plans for his “March to Keep Fear Alive.”

“Now is not the time to take it down a notch. Now is the time for all good men to freak out for freedom,” Colbert said…

The announcements come less than three weeks after conservative talk-show host Glenn Beck hosted a much-publicized “Restoring Honor” rally on the National Mall, urging large crowds to “turn back to God” and return America to the values on which it was founded.

Stewart first publicly floated the idea of a counter-rally in a profile in the September 12 edition of New York magazine. “Maybe we would do a ‘March of the Reasonable,’ on a date of no particular significance,” Stewart says in the article.

The website logos and icons created for the Colbert and Stewart rallies mimic Beck’s, using identical typography and similar stylized images.

“We’re looking for the people who think shouting is annoying, counterproductive, and terrible for your throat; who feel that the loudest voices shouldn’t be the only ones that get heard,” the website for the “Rally to Restore Sanity” says.

The “March to Keep Fear Alive” site takes a more alarmist approach: “Never forget — ‘Reason’ is just one letter away from ‘Treason.’ Coincidence? Reasonable people would say it is, but America can’t afford to take that chance.”

I doubt the Tea Party types will take well to being laughed at.

The laughter and chuckles slipping from “respectable” media types rarely gets up to the level of courage and insight, simply smugness. Stewart and Colbert are capable of so much more. A fact obviously appreciated by the millions of Americans who appreciate their humor.




  1. LowTechNo says:

    Will they issue orders/directives to NOT BRING
    any signs, like Becky did?

    And 99.9% obeyed Becky!!!

  2. moss says:

    Obedience is important to some people.

    And corporations, churches, politicians.

    Pundits.

  3. Li says:

    The signs are going to be 90% of the fun, I’m sure.

  4. Traaxx says:

    Yeah , whatever………..It’s the obamanationalist that don’t seem to be able to take a joke…I mean look at Obama and her big ears…ha,ha,ha….just anouther Bush in a different wrapper and you voted for her….he,he,ha,hehehe………………….Noth American Union and Mexican style politic here we come………….he,he,he

    Whatever…………………………..
    Traaxx

  5. MikeN says:

    >rarely gets up to the level of courage and insight, simply smugness.

    I don’t know what they’re capable of, but that defines Stewart and Colbert to a T.

  6. jman says:

    way to give advertising to lame comics…..

  7. runs with scissors says:

    #1
    Will they issue orders/directives to NOT BRING
    any signs, like Becky did?

    Nope watch the clip signs are encouraged and Stewart even suggested some I liked “Got Competence?”

  8. Ah_Yea says:

    What a great, awesome way to promote Beck!

    The more the rail against him, the more they rant about him, the more they PROMOTE and ADVERTISE him!

    Those who were against him will be against him still, but those who are undecided or uninformed may actually like him. No loss to Beck.

    It’s brilliant!!

    (P.S., I don’t expect Eideard to understand)

  9. bobbo, to the left and right of Obama says:

    Say Mike==as I track your projectory, you are headed right into Traaxx’s domain. Sure you want to come off looking that stoopid?

    Ha, ha.

    Stoopid Humans: Proud to vote against their own self interests.

  10. MrMiGu says:

    #1
    Thats probably because he didn’t want all of his followers to embarrass him with signs full of spelling mistakes

    [Exactly! – ed.]

  11. Luc says:

    I think Stewart is a good show. Colbert is unfunny and annoying.

  12. Floyd says:

    #8: “What a great, awesome way to promote Beck!”

    Well it’s an OK German beer, but there are better ones.

    Oh–you’re referring to the right wing idiot who went Mormon, and then lost a substantial percentage of his non-Mormon fundie followers.

  13. GigG says:

    Not a TeaParty guy but while I agree with much of their platform I think Beck is an idiot. And while I seldom agree with Stewart or Colbert’s position they are by far the best spokesmen the political left have out there and they both are a perfect example of what political satire should be in the age of the 24 hour news cycle.

  14. chuck says:

    The “respectable” media thought it was hilarious to refer to tax-protesters as “tea-baggers”.

  15. Mextli says:

    “We’re looking for the people who think shouting is annoying, counterproductive, and terrible for your throat; who feel that the loudest voices shouldn’t be the only ones that get heard”

    Looks like Jon Stewart will not be there.

    Doing good Eideard now get the religion article lined up.

  16. Urotsukidoji says:

    They are tea-baggers.

  17. HenryG says:

    Looks like Stewart adn Colbert are not alone in planning rallies in this 2010 election season.

    http://youthinkwhat.com/bigotpalooza-update-road-show-adds-haley-barbour-terry-jones-megan-mccain-other-favored-moderates-names-to-the-bill.html

  18. Bob says:

    No problem, as long as the liberals keep believing their is no problem, and that the tea party members are nothing but fringe people all will be ok.

    Just keep your heads in the sand another two months, thats all I ask.

  19. Socrates says:

    GigG said “Not a TeaParty guy but while I agree with much of their platform I think Beck is an idiot.”

    What is the platform?

    (Will get drunk while waiting for answer, because that’s what good philosophers do)

  20. Stunwin says:

    Just so long as you keep using their instead of there, buddy.

  21. runs with scissors says:

    #18
    There are more registered Democrats than Republicans there are almost as manny registered Independents (like me) as Republicans, taking the Republican party to the Right is unlikely to gain many Independents. The only thing the Tea Party has is that they are so motivated they will get to the polls. Should they start to effect Legislation the majority will then be just as motivated vote them back out.

    sorry it would only be a short lived victory

  22. runs with scissors says:

    There their dyslexia is a bitch sorry if it makes it hard for you to understand me but i will type on for the rest

  23. Dallas says:

    The Beck/T-Bagger hatefest has provided an opening for the GOP to rid itself of the KKK, religious fringe loons and other party parasites.

    The Stewart side just might show the remaining R’pukes there is hope in restoring civility and constructive change to America. The Colbert side is merely ridiculing Beck and the T-bagger herd.

  24. pcsmith says:

    So far, the comments posted here tell me that you don’t get the satire. Stewart/Colbert express the same point of view but from different directions.

    i.e.
    Congress, and everything inside the beltway, is a joke, a joke on the American public.

    Glenn Beck opened a door using a march on Washington to play the MSM, and they might as well make there own play.

    The two party system has become an omniparty and government needs reformed.

  25. Olo Baggins of Bywater says:

    Alfred: satire is not imitation.

  26. Glenn Beck says:

    Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. That’s why I did a satirical rally imitating Martin Luther King.

    As long as I’m selling books and network ratings, what do I care?

  27. MrMiGu says:

    #29

    Don’t forget near worthless gold coins at a ridiculous markup

  28. Improbus says:

    Alfy, are you using TOR so the admins can’t block you by IP address? I didn’t think you had it in you.

  29. runs with scissors says:

    #25
    interesting (thanks for the link) and NOT unexpected still we have

    Voter preferences for a single midterm are not the same as registered voters party or lack of party affiliation and the GOP has not over come the almost 60 million person deficit in registered voters when compared to Independents and Dems.

    So I still think should the Tea Party start to effect legislation the majority will then be motivated vote them back out.

    They are very likely to win the Red States the Republican almost always win but not much more and not for very many election cycles.

    Plus once in office they will soon be just like the rest of the politicians.


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