No threads about Jon Stewart's rally?

[TeyshaBlue]

*sigh* The crawler on the screen....good times.

[Winehole23]

Why is Darrin butthurt about this?

Probably the lack of revelers to clown. Darrin had to create his own thread about the rally just to insult it.

[scott]

“I can’t control what people think this was. I can only tell you my intentions. This was not a rally to ridicule people of faith or people of activism or to look down our noses at the heartland or passionate argument or to suggest that times are not difficult and that we have nothing to fear. They are and we do. But we live now in hard times, not end times. And we can have animus and not be enemies.

But unfortunately one of our main tools in delineating the two broke. 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.

If we amplify everything we hear nothing. There are terrorists and racists and Stalinists and theocrats but those are les that must be earned. You must have the resume. Not being able to distinguish between real racists and Tea Partiers or real bigots and Juan Williams and Rick Sanchez is an insult, not only to those people but to the racists themselves who have put in the exhausting effort it takes to hate--just as the inability to distinguish terrorists from Muslims makes us less safe not more. The press is our immune system. If we overreact to everything we actually get sicker--and perhaps eczema.

And yet, with that being said, I feel good—strangely, calmly good. Because the image of Americans that is reflected back to us by our political and media process is false. It is us through a fun house mirror, and not the good kind that makes you look slim in the waist and maybe taller, but the kind where you have a giant forehead and an ass shaped like a month old pumpkin and one eyeball.

So, why would we work together? Why would you reach across the aisle to a pumpkin assed forehead eyeball monster? If the picture of us were true, of course, our inability to solve problems would actually be quite sane and reasonable. Why would you work with Marxists actively subverting our Cons ution or racists and phobes who see no one’s humanity but their own? We hear every damn day about how fragile our country is—on the brink of catastrophe—torn by polarizing hate and how it’s a shame that we can’t work together to get things done, but the truth is we do. We work together to get things done every damn day!

The only place we don’t is here or on cable TV. But Americans don’t live here or on cable TV. Where we live our values and principles form the foundations that sustains us while we get things done, not the barriers that prevent us from getting things done. Most Americans don’t live their lives solely as Democrats, Republicans, liberals or conservatives. Americans live their lives more as people that are just a little bit late for something they have to do—often something that they do not want to do—but they do it--impossible things every day that are only made possible by the little reasonable compromises that we all make.

Look on the screen. This is where we are. This is who we are. (points to the Jumbotron screen which show traffic merging into a tunnel). These cars—that’s a schoolteacher who probably thinks his taxes are too high. He’s going to work. There’s another car-a woman with two small kids who can’t really think about anything else right now. There’s another car, swinging, I don’t even know if you can see it—the lady’s in the NRA and she loves Oprah. There’s another car—an investment banker, gay, also likes Oprah. Another car’s a Latino carpenter. Another car a fundamentalist vacuum salesman. Atheist obstetrician. Mormon Jay-Z fan. But this is us. Every one of the cars that you see is filled with individuals of strong belief and principles they hold dear—often principles and beliefs in direct opposition to their fellow travelers.

And yet these millions of cars must somehow find a way to squeeze one by one into a mile long 30 foot wide tunnel carved underneath a mighty river. Carved, by the way, by people who I’m sure had their differences. And they do it. Concession by conscession. You go. Then I’ll go. You go. Then I’ll go. You go then I’ll go. Oh my God, is that an NRA sticker on your car? Is that an Obama sticker on your car? Well, that’s okay—you go and then I’ll go.

And sure, at some point there will be a selfish jerk who zips up the shoulder and cuts in at the last minute, but that individual is rare and he is scorned and not hired as an analyst.

Because we know instinctively as a people that if we are to get through the darkness and back into the light we have to work together. And the truth is, there will always be darkness. And sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t the promised land. Sometimes it’s just New Jersey. But we do it anyway, together.

If you want to know why I’m here and want I want from you, I can only assure you this: you have already given it to me. Your presence was what I wanted.

Sanity will always be and has always been in the eye of the beholder. To see you here today and the kind of people that you are has restored mine. Thank you."

That's an epic speech. One no politician would ever have the balls to make. I'm sure certain people won't bother to read it.

[RandomGuy]

That's an epic speech. One no politician would ever have the balls to make. I'm sure certain people won't bother to read it.

+1

Why does it take a satirist to have an intelligent, grown-up discussion with the president and/or American people?

[fraga]

Basically, this was huge concert for a comedian and some other dude name Colbert?

It was to basically show that normal people out number dumb crazy s...

[DarrinS]

It was to basically show that normal people out number dumb crazy s...

THE RALLY TO IGNORE INSANITY
So the Rally to Restore Sanity was good, clean, hip fun.

And, probably, unnecessary.

Which is why I did something necessary after watching it for thirty minutes: I hit the gym, and worked on the quads.

They look great, btw.

And that reminded me of my past, at Rodale - a health publishing company that put out Men's Health, Prevention and Runners World. While I was an editor there, I was one of three or four conservatives, out of a company of 1300 people. The folks there were mostly young, cool and sinewy- just like the crazies I worked with while running Stuff and Maxim UK. Again, I was one of maybe, two nonlibs working and goofing off there.

My point: every single day of my life was a Jon Stewart rally. Everyone around me was pleasant, usually white, and always reveling in their reflexive assumptions about the "rest" of less hip America. Yep, they were my people when we got hammered. But because of my beliefs, I was not theirs on election day. And they'd hammer me for that.

That's why when I watch the rally, i just wondered, who needs it?

Well, maybe to show a divide between two groups: The tea party was about candidates; The sanity rally was about celebrity.

More important, the tea party was a civilian reaction to our government's sprint toward progressivism. The rally, however, was a celebrity reaction to those civilians.

The rally boiled down to: "we're cool, you're crazy."

So the real le of the event shouldn't have been "The Rally to Restore Sanity," but "The Rally to Ignore Insanity."

Because, that was the message. The teapartiers are reacting to alarming stuff: the insane spending, the bottomless deficit, weird appointments, political arrogance -it's real anxiety over real trouble for future offspring.

Stewart's rally says, "Ignore that. Check out Cat Stevens!" With a load of flashy entertainment and outsized personalities - they are the band playing on the anic - enjoying the applause as we see the shadow of the iceberg.

[RandomGuy]

What did Fox "news" tell you to think about it?

THE RALLY TO IGNORE INSANITY
So the Rally to Restore Sanity was good, clean, hip fun.

And, probably, unnecessary.

Which is why I did something necessary after watching it for thirty minutes: I hit the gym, and worked on the quads.

They look great, btw.

And that reminded me of my past, at Rodale - a health publishing company that put out Men's Health, Prevention and Runners World. While I was an editor there, I was one of three or four conservatives, out of a company of 1300 people. The folks there were mostly young, cool and sinewy- just like the crazies I worked with while running Stuff and Maxim UK. Again, I was one of maybe, two nonlibs working and goofing off there.

My point: every single day of my life was a Jon Stewart rally. Everyone around me was pleasant, usually white, and always reveling in their reflexive assumptions about the "rest" of less hip America. Yep, they were my people when we got hammered. But because of my beliefs, I was not theirs on election day. And they'd hammer me for that.

That's why when I watch the rally, i just wondered, who needs it?

Well, maybe to show a divide between two groups: The tea party was about candidates; The sanity rally was about celebrity.

More important, the tea party was a civilian reaction to our government's sprint toward progressivism. The rally, however, was a celebrity reaction to those civilians.

The rally boiled down to: "we're cool, you're crazy."

So the real le of the event shouldn't have been "The Rally to Restore Sanity," but "The Rally to Ignore Insanity."

Because, that was the message. The teapartiers are reacting to alarming stuff: the insane spending, the bottomless deficit, weird appointments, political arrogance -it's real anxiety over real trouble for future offspring.

Stewart's rally says, "Ignore that. Check out Cat Stevens!" With a load of flashy entertainment and outsized personalities - they are the band playing on the anic - enjoying the applause as we see the shadow of the iceberg.

Thanks for letting us know what you were told to think.

Let me know about the next thing you are told to be outraged about. I'm on pins and needles just thinking about it.

[clambake]

Thanks for letting us know what you were told to think.

Let me know about the next thing you are told to be outraged about. I'm on pins and needles just thinking about it.

his boss tells him what to think.

[Cry Havoc]

"Jon Stewart thinks conservatives are crazy."

Yep. "I go, then you go" clearly means, "You're insane please stay away from me."



It's amazing how reality just has no basis in your brain. The encampment it might have set up at one time has long been blown away by Hurricane Limbaugh or the Great Beck Tornado of 2002. Now, all you see is hate, and persecution, and anyone that has any kind of disagreement with you is someone to fear.

Thank you, Darrin, for so obtusely providing us with a shining example of exactly what Jon Stewart was talking about. You have jumped with all of your thought and belongings directly into the culture of fear.

I would much, much rather hitch my ride behind Jon Stewart's, "You disagree with me and that's okay" train versus Glenn Beck's, "If you don't share my views you're a facist" thought police fear manifesto which uses any and all possible methods to get you to buy Goldline stock. But if you want to spend your days in hate and fear, that is your choice. Just don't expect me to see any rational "reason" in it, because that is something you show very little of in this forum.

[clambake]

his boss tells him what to think.

who else could it be? his boss tells him what he can do with his patents!

[ChumpDumper]

If Darrin prefers never to have a civil political conversation, that's his business.


Darrin hates America.

[jack sommerset]

Can anyone clue me in to what this guy is saying, or are you all as equally in the dark about the comments he makes as I am?

It looks like a big ing crowd you goddamn idiot.

[ChumpDumper]

It looks like a big ing crowd you goddamn idiot.

What did the rest of it mean?

[Winehole23]

God will not be pleased with this latest attempt of insulting a fellow child of his. God bless.

[Winehole23]

(Crystal clear: God will avenge jack.)

[Winehole23]

(b/c we said very bad things)

[Stringer_Bell]

The Fox News clip just exemplified Stewart's point about "If we amplify everything we hear nothing". They on the rally as being "just a bunch of comedians that sadly lots of people think are real news anchors" - people only watch them cuz they're tired of real news anchors blowing out of proportion. They clearly didn't get the joke.

[ChumpDumper]

lol news anchors think people think the comedians are real news anchors

[MannyIsGod]

It pretty much just proves the point - doesn't it? Darrin does a fine job of that himself here as well. Why any intelligent person would have a problem with that speech is beyond me, but perhaps Darrin can explain it to us without posting the latest column he read and thought "YEAH! I'm thinking!".

[cheguevara]

does this mean Darrin will not be hired as an analyst?

[Duff McCartney]

I watched the whole thing and I thought it was pretty entertaining. I wish there would have been more fear though! I love Colberts satirizing of the fear mongering pundits like Beck, Hannity, Fox News, and some of the MSNBC people. It's hilarious.