Between Stewart and Colbert, Dueling Rallies

Between Stewart and Colbert, Dueling Rallies
By BILL CARTER
Copyright by THe Associated Press
Published: September 17, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/18/us/politics/18march.html?th&emc=th


A day after the “Daily Show” star Jon Stewart announced plans to stage an ambitious public rally to counter what he identified as extremists on either side of the political spectrum, specifics were in short supply on Friday, with most of the details still to be worked out.

On Thursday night, Mr. Stewart told his television audience that the show had secured the National Mall in Washington for what he called the “Rally to Restore Sanity” on Oct. 30. He later labeled it a “Million Moderate March.”

The purpose, he said, is to present an alternative to what he called a minority of 15 percent or 20 percent of the Americans who have dominated the national political discussion with extreme rhetoric. Mr. Stewart tarred both parties with that charge, citing the attacks on the right accusing President Obama of being everything from a socialist to un-American and on the left accusing former President George W. Bush of being a war criminal.

But on Friday, as Mr. Stewart traveled to Chicago for an appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” no one associated with his show had any more information about the rally — like where and how to secure a place, or what time it will be held — other than what the comedian presented on the air. He did describe the rally as “two or three hours one Saturday for some nice people to get together for some fun.”

A Web site established for the rally, www.rallytorestoresanity.com, encourages fans to follow the event on Facebook and Twitter and to send a name and e-mail address for further information.

The site also says whom the rally is intended to reach: “Ours is a rally for the people who’ve been too busy to go to rallies, who actually have lives and families and jobs (or are looking for jobs) — not so much the ‘silent majority’ as the ‘busy majority.’ ”

What was clear from Mr. Stewart’s announcement was that the rally would have some comedy elements (as well as likely guest stars, Mr. Stewart said), and that his partner on the Comedy Central cable channel, Stephen Colbert, would be present in the guise of his conservative blowhard persona.

On his own show on Thursday, Mr. Colbert suggested that rather than now being a time for reasonableness, it is actually a time to “freak out for freedom.” He announced his intention to stage a counterrally the same day, and called it the “March to Keep Fear Alive.”