Jon Stewart Announces DC 'Rally to Restore Sanity'

By Marc Schneider Posted Sep 17th 2010 06:34AM

'Daily Show' host Jon Stewart announced Thursday that he'll lead a rally on Washington that aims to encourage angry citizens on both sides of the aisle to take it down a notch, or in his words, "stop shouting, throwing and drawing Hitler mustaches on people other than Hitler."

The event has been dubbed the "Rally to Restore Sanity" and will be held on the National Mall on Oct. 30. "It's real," he told his maybe-thinking-he-was-joking audience. "We are gonna do this." Watch Stewart's big announcement:

In a video setting up his case that both political parties have gone overboard, Stewart mixed in pundits like "Birther Queen" Orly Taitz and the "Ragin' Cajun" James Carville. There were images from anti-war rallies and the recent rash of Tea Party events as well. He said the purpose of the rally will be to give the 80 percent of the country who usually "have s**t to do" a chance to rally ... but for sanity, not rage.

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Signs, Signs Everywhere

A man holds a sign during a tea party tax rally Thursday, April 15, 2010, in Kansas City, Kan. Tea party protesters marked tax day Thursday with exhortations against "gangster government" and appeals from Republicans seeking their grass-roots clout in November elections, a prospect both tempting and troubling to those in the loose movement. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Theres Signs

WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 12: An unidentified women holds up a sign that reads "Taxed Enough Already No More Debt!!" during a rally on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol Building on September 12, 2010 in Washington, DC. Members of the Tea Party and other activists gathered at the "Remember In November" Rally to protest large government and rally for conservative principals nearly two months before US midterm elections. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Theres Signs

Protesters hold signs during a rally protesting taxes on the Tuscarora Indian Nation in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010. A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked New York state's plans to tax cigarette sales by two American Indian nations to non-Indian customers while the tribes challenge the policy shift as a threat to sovereignty and their financial well-being. (AP Photo/ David Duprey)

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Theres Signs

Protesters hold signs during an anti-tax rally on the Tuscarora Indian Nation in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010. A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked New York state's plans to tax cigarette sales by two American Indian nations to non-Indian customers while the tribes challenge the policy shift as a threat to sovereignty and their financial well-being. (AP Photo/ David Duprey)

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Theres Signs

Quinna Hamby holds a sign during a rally protesting taxes on the Tuscarora Indian Nation in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010. A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked New York state's plans to tax cigarette sales by two American Indian nations to non-Indian customers while the tribes challenge the policy shift as a threat to sovereignty and their financial well-being. (AP Photo/ David Duprey)

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Theres Signs

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 22: Demonstrators hold signs in front of Los Angeles Federal Building before they start their protest march to Occidental Petroleum Corporation headquarters on July 22, 2010 in the Westwood section of Los Angeles, California. Members of SEIU local 721 service employees union staged the protest asking California state elected leaders to eliminate a $1.2 billion annual oil drilling tax loophole to California oil producers while vital services are being eliminated from the state budget. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Theres Signs

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 22: Demonstrators are reflected on the dashboard of a GMC truck in front of Los Angeles Federal Building before the start of their protest march to Occidental Petroleum Corporation headquarters on July 22, 2010 in the Westwood section of Los Angeles, California. Members of SEIU local 721 service employees union staged the protest asking California state elected leaders to eliminate a $1.2 billion annual oil drilling tax loophole to California oil producers while vital services are being eliminated from the state budget. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Theres Signs

In contrast with Glenn Beck's recent religious-y rally on Washington, where signs were openly discouraged, the Comedy Central funnyman urges marchers to go to town. He suggested a couple ideas, including "I Disagree With You, But I'm Pretty Sure You're Not Hitler," and "Take It Down a Notch, America."

The rally, which he also dubbed the "Million Moderate March," will lean heavy on comedy, of course. Stewart's "rival," Stephen Colbert, bum-rushed the show to announce that he too would hold his own rally nearby for "all freedom-loving patriots" to challenge the "dark, optimistic forces" of Stewart and the 'Daily Show.'

He later said on the 'Colbert Report' that in order to "fight Jon Stewart's creeping reasonableness" and "restore truthiness" he will lead the "March to Keep Fear Alive" in the same exact spot on the same day as his Comedy Central colleague.

In a statement, Comedy Central promised a face-off between Stewart and Colbert that will be "bigger than Nixon/Kennedy, Ali/Foreman, Aniston/Jolie, 50/Nas, Joe/the Volcano, Alien/Predator, Bunny/Fudd and Ecks/Sever combined."

Watch Colbert's announcement:

Tags: daily show, jon stewart, rally to restore sanity, stephen colbert

Comments

(872)

Friday 17 September

By kevinjbarrett1

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Truth is the point

By bookstuboo

No he hasn't you have. In this country you have the right of dissent but the American way should be civil discourse not the fear and hate mogering going on now.You my frien have no idea what this country is supposed to be.

By JudiBug

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From the view of an independent, since when have people dissented politely? and I was not aware of anybody being afraid. Goodness, who's been scared? Excuse me but are you talking about the USA?

By chris10280

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Wow. You really don't have a clue about intelligent discourse, do you? America really is falling far behind in education.

Monday 20 September

By donna

whoa repeat after me meds are good, meds are reaaallllyy gggooood

By allan

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Luv it...some humor into the caldren of angry money makers....no more Obama no more ATM For Beck and Palin....

By H Hochlaf

Do you get your education from Beck university

By gumbo dawg

Wont get 100 to show up. You are an imbicile. Go watch Fox like the sheep you are.

By david

gumbo dawg: you are a joke. why would steward watch fox? the most fair and balanced new's network? what a bigger joke.

By katzluce

"stop shouting, throwing and drawing Hitler mustaches on people other than Hitler."? Please. You've made a whole career out of belittling other people. Pot and Kettle? I've heard you shout on your show. I guess it's OK as long as it's aimed at people that deserve it. Right?

By WEvonD

I think the whole point is that there is a big difference between "belittling" or criticizing, and calling everyone you disagree with Hitler. He's not asking people to stop being critical, as he often is even of democrats and Obama (if you ever bother to watch the show you are talking about,) but to not lose your minds and act like idiots. Since even this simple point has gone over your head, I doubt it will work. Still, kudos to Stewart for trying.

What a surprise. A reply with "over your head" in it. Typical of the "I'm smarter than you" crowd.

By Anthony

Katzluce - you're reaching...hard. Dontcha think?

By KJB

Right.

By Robert

You realize in the clips of people yelling he included himself, right? You obviously didn't even watch this.

Warren

Take a Tums you're drooling.

By Putdownthepitchfork

I want this man to run for president....but he's too smart to fall for that. Wish I could be there.

By BeanerECMO

Why, yes he is so smart, and courteous, too. He acts just like Obama - he belittles anyone with whom he is in disagreement.Remember Obama saying, " Look who they have speaking for them - A PLUMBER!! A PLUMBER!!" He denigrates working people, people wh work with their hands, and he still doesn't get why so many are angry especially now that the government wants to take over all private retirement plans. In fact, THIS WEEK Obama's Treasury and Labor Departments are holding outrageous, executive branch hearings on nationalization of retirement accounts. Your nest egg is in their cross-hairs; you know, to "protect you" from losing your own money. Congressional heavyweights such as Rep. George Miller (D-CA) have already held hearings on "merging" 401(k)s, IRAs, and other tax-advantaged private savings programs into the failed Social Security program.

By Chase

@BeanerECMO
"Remember Obama saying, " Look who they have speaking for them - A PLUMBER!! A PLUMBER!!""

No, I don't, because he didn't say that. This is the kind of crap Mr. Stewart is talking about, people who just take some sensationalized BS and run with it, and frankly don't give a crap if it is genuine or not.

It's sad to see how many people posting on this matter are so terribly misinformed, and once again I say, I know they don't care. Where is his birth certificate? Who was the doctor who delivered him? Are you living under a rock? Are you incapable of using Google? Most web browsers have Google build in, up there on the top-right corner. But it doesn't matter. Even if you morons had undeniable evidence that you were wrong, you'd still spread this BS.

By SPC

He's a jerk!

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