Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s joint “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear,” to be held at the National Mall today, Oct. 30, will be a huge boost to D.C. crowds on the eve of Halloween and the Marine Corps Marathon.
Meanwhile, Democrats and their allies are hoping it will boost their popularity on the last weekend before the midterm elections, even though Stewart and Colbert insist the rally is not meant to be political.
Originally, the Comedy Central stars offered two dueling rallies, featuring matching websites—Stewart’s “Rally to Restore Sanity” and Colbert’s “March to Keep Fear Alive”—with links saying ‘Don’t Click Here’ leading to each other’s sites.
Overall, the event had generated 200,000 facebook RSVPs by the time the Washington Business Journal went to print with its assessment of the burgeoning rally’s impact on the district’s hospitality sector.
The permit size has more than doubled from the original, and now stands at 60,000. D.C.’s local NBC station, Channel 4, said crowds were expected to reach 150,000.
Speculation for the content of the rally has been percolating for weeks. Time’s James Poniewozik suggested several possibilities, ranging from a “nihilistic joke” to a politically-charged answer to Glenn Beck. Poniewozik emphasized the entertainers’ satirical contributions to America’s political life, stating “the idea that the rally is absurd ... doesn’t mean it’s phony.”
Stewart has been gearing up in D.C. for the past week, but has kept silent about the rally’s substance. He hosted Barack Obama on The Daily Show on Oct. 27, drawing just under 3 million viewers, according to the Washington Post. Many speculated the president’s appearance might be an endorsement for the rally, but none was forthcoming.
However, the rally has received tangible support from Oprah Winfrey and Arianna Huffington. Winfrey has paid for select Stewart and Colbert’s studio audiences to attend. And Huffington pledged around $250,000 for rally-goers to travel by bus from New York to D.C. and back.
Meanwhile, Democrats and their allies are hoping it will boost their popularity on the last weekend before the midterm elections, even though Stewart and Colbert insist the rally is not meant to be political.
Originally, the Comedy Central stars offered two dueling rallies, featuring matching websites—Stewart’s “Rally to Restore Sanity” and Colbert’s “March to Keep Fear Alive”—with links saying ‘Don’t Click Here’ leading to each other’s sites.
Overall, the event had generated 200,000 facebook RSVPs by the time the Washington Business Journal went to print with its assessment of the burgeoning rally’s impact on the district’s hospitality sector.
The permit size has more than doubled from the original, and now stands at 60,000. D.C.’s local NBC station, Channel 4, said crowds were expected to reach 150,000.
Speculation for the content of the rally has been percolating for weeks. Time’s James Poniewozik suggested several possibilities, ranging from a “nihilistic joke” to a politically-charged answer to Glenn Beck. Poniewozik emphasized the entertainers’ satirical contributions to America’s political life, stating “the idea that the rally is absurd ... doesn’t mean it’s phony.”
Stewart has been gearing up in D.C. for the past week, but has kept silent about the rally’s substance. He hosted Barack Obama on The Daily Show on Oct. 27, drawing just under 3 million viewers, according to the Washington Post. Many speculated the president’s appearance might be an endorsement for the rally, but none was forthcoming.
However, the rally has received tangible support from Oprah Winfrey and Arianna Huffington. Winfrey has paid for select Stewart and Colbert’s studio audiences to attend. And Huffington pledged around $250,000 for rally-goers to travel by bus from New York to D.C. and back.
