Among the thousands who flocked to the National Mall from across the country to a rally hosted by two comedians were many who expressed hope that humor can help heal a deeply divided country.
“I think that because [Jon Stewart] uses humor, and he isn’t trying to get elected, he’s able to be a voice of truth,” said Elliott Christopher Byrne, a 49-year-old Republican who traveled from State College, Pa., to attend Saturday’s Rally to Restore Sanity. “People tend to look at their faults when you make them humorous, and we need people to take a closer look at themselves.”
Byrne found himself stranded on I-495 Friday night when he was hit from behind and pushed into the car in front of him. The accident totalled his car, but no matter, Byrne said getting to the rally was worth the trouble.
“We have a recurring problem in this country of a loud minority who act like the majority because they’re loud,” he said. “I hope by being here we can all make it clear that the real majority still wants to have a conversation about the serious issues this country faces.”
Many Democrats shared his enthusiasm for the call for sanity by Stewart and the satirical call to “keep fear alive” by Stephen Colbert. A crowd well into the six figures gathered to party and cheer the comedians turned pundits.
“I’m here for the energy. I wanted to be with like-minded people,” said Karen Fry, who came from northeast Pennsylvania. “People here seem positive about where the nation is going.”
That positivity stood in stark contrast to a Democratic, union-backed rally held earlier this month on the National Mall that drew a crowd about half the size of the Stewart-Colbert rally. At the “One Nation” gathering, the crowd was focused on the soured economy, the lack of jobs and the fear that even the Democrats they supported were steering away from the leftist values. Saturday’s rally also was strikingly different than the Glenn Beck event in August, which focused on the need for political transformation in America.
Despite being four days removed from the mid-term elections, there was little overt political influence apparent on the National Mall as the late-night hosts tried to restore sanity with their jokes.
Rally attendees joined in on those jokes themselves, carrying signs that mocked the typical political statements appearing at rallies.
Many signs were simply blank. One said,”Eat more and bigger pretzels,” another said “Comedians make better anchors.”
Many rally goers wore stickers saying “Vote Sanity 11.2.10,” the date of election day.
Barb Eide, a 62-year-old from a town 80 miles south of Minneapolis, Minn., was wearing one of those stickers.
“It means to vote for civility and dialogue,” Eide said. “We really need to figure that out instead of yelling at each other. I have no doubt that we can.”
Examiner intern Kristen Byrne contributed to this story.
