Three of us waited around in the morning near the Mall for our fourth person. That was when I saw most of the signs. Signs such as "Less Hannity, more Sanity," "I'm slightly irritated by the extreme outrage," "Vote Sanity," "There was only one Hitler," a heart around a donkey and an elephant, etc. Nothing unexpected. I was struck by how many expectations and lack of expectations that people had. People wanted it to be a liberal rallying ground. Others wanted a live taping of the Daily Show and the Colbert Report rolled into one and entertainment. No one really knew how it would turn out, and did anyone care. They were there. I guess that I came because out of curiosity, the free tickets, and the chance to see Stewart and Colbert perform.
I found the rally to be part rock concert, part extended Daily Show for the most part. The first hour and some of the skits were entertaining. We were standing next to the press box and there was this platform that kept roaring to life so that the camera people could ride up, photograph the extent of the crowd, and then roaring back down to the ground. I couldn't hear the lyrics of the Roots or John Legend, just the bass. Stewart and Colbert were funny and on-point, but in a reassuring, predictable way. We fear fear, so give ourselves a pat on the back when we overcome our fear. Archana described the Stewart-Colbert debate as the Muppets. Well-timed comedy and lines wrapped neatly in an earnest message. I laughed hardest at the comedians' song, if not Jon Stewart's singing voice. However, I loved Jon Stewart's earnest appeal at the end.
The country’s 24 hour political pundit perpetual panic conflictinator did not cause our problems but its existence makes solving them that much harder. The press can hold its magnifying up to our problems bringing them into focus, illuminating issues heretofore unseen or they can use that magnifying glass to light ants on fire and then perhaps host a week of shows on the sudden, unexpected dangerous flaming ant epidemic.I've been thinking a lot as to whether this rally was political or not. The word "politics" derives from the Greek word, politikos, is a "process by which people make collective decisions." (Thanks, Wikipedia!). The rally wasn't partisan, but it sure as hell was political. Political in the sense that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert can draw a crowd, that people care that the country is not full of extremists, that large numbers of people make a point. However, I'm not sure how it will change the conversation if Stewart's point is true-- that the cross-talk is happening in Washington and on TV over the average person's head.If we amplify everything we hear nothing.
Rallying against media hyperbole is not a new point but is occurring in a different arena. I remember that Jon Stewart voiced frustration on CNN's "Crossfire" for the hosts and guests talking at cross-purposes and destroying discourse. I don't think he has changed his message since then because I think at the end of the day, the focus of his rally came across as a rally against the extremes of the media as much as it was about politics.
Which is perhaps why the ensuing media coverage of this event focused on everything but the most sobering point. Crowds, comedy bits, etc draw crowds and headlines, but to truly talk about sanity requires the participants to exhibit it. It's why CSPAN is unexciting but why MSNBC and Fox have personality.
Ironically, the story will probably be gone by Tuesday. The point will not.
