Sanity vs. Fear: Stewart and Colbert Announce Dueling Marches on Washington

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have made it official: the two comedians will hold competing rallies in Washington next month in what promises to be one of the greatest comedy events in American history — or at least since John McCain tapped Sarah Palin to be his running mate.

Stewart will host the "Rally to Restore Sanity" while Colbert will lead the "March to Keep Fear Alive," a comedic antidote to last month's Glenn Beck teabagging summit in Washington.

"It is happening, people," Stewart said in announcing the Oct. 30 rally, which was spawned by a post on the social news site Reddit and quickly evolved into an Internet movement.

"A million moderate march where we take to the streets to send a message to our leaders and our national media that says, 'We are here ... we're only here, though, until 6 because we have a sitter!'"

Stewart described his plea for sanity as a movement of "people who have been too busy to go to rallies" — to "beg America to stop shouting, throwing and drawing Hitler mustaches on people other than Hitler (or Charlie Chaplin)." He said he hopes to garner the "70-to-80 percent of Americans who aren't extremists on the right or left."

"You may be asking yourself, right now, sitting at home, but am I the right type of person to go to this rally," said Stewart. "The fact that you would even stop to ask yourself that question, as opposed to just, let's say, jumping up, grabbing the nearest stack of holy books, strapping on a diaper and just pointing your car towards D.C. — that means I think you might just be right for it."

The event is certain to lend itself to some amusing signage, and Stewart already offered some suggestions: "I disagree with you, but I'm pretty sure you're not Hitler," "Got competence?" and "I'm not afraid of Muslims, Tea Partiers, socialists, immigrants gun owners or gays, but I am kind of scared of spiders."

Watch Stewart's announcement, and visit the Rally to Restore Sanity site and the Facebook event page.

Not to be outdone, Colbert followed up with an announcement on his own show, urging freedom-loving patriots to also assemble "because now is not the time to take it down a notch. Now is the time for all good men to freak out for freedom."

"Shame on you Jon Stewart," Colbert added. "America cannot afford a rally to restore sanity in the middle of a recession. Did you even consider how many panic-related jobs that might cost us in the fear-industrial complex?"

Watch Colbert's announcement, and visit the March to Keep Fear Alive site and the Facebook event page.

The dueling rallies pose a dilemma for Comedy Central fans, who will be torn between rallying for sanity vs. fear. Which rally would you attend? Cast your vote below.


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