The October 30 Rally for Sanity was organized by comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.\u00a0 Part of the nature of comedy is nuance, at least comedy intended for sophisticated audiences.\u00a0 By its very nature, nuance means a lack of clarity, and regrettably that seems to describe the Rally.<\/p>\n

The obfuscation of the Rally was compounded by President Barack Obama\u2019s appearance on The Daily show three days before.\u00a0 The president has a plethora of admirable qualities (perhaps this is why many conservatives are so intense in their dislike of him).\u00a0 However, by his own admission he has difficulty with brevity and at times that translates into confusion.<\/p>\n

The lack of clarity about the Rally seems to have paralleled the occasional murkiness of what President Obama is saying.\u00a0 In the president\u2019s case, he seems to feel that he needs to be cautious so as to not alienate supporters or potential supporters.\u00a0 This is in contrast to Jon Stewart\u2019s satirical humor which spares no prisoners.<\/p>\n

Sanity is a difficult word with which to work because it comes in many shapes and forms.\u00a0 To call someone \u201cinsane\u201d is wading into difficult waters and it is a label that can have a stinging impact when just slightly misused.<\/p>\n

But perhaps Stewart et al<\/em> might have made eight points in advance of the rally to describe the challenges we face today.\u00a0 These are points that have repeatedly been made through comedy, but need an additional form of communication, gravitas.<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We need to be both cautious and alert because the worlds of comedy and news have become so morphed that it is difficult to tell which is which.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Satirists on the left tend to use comedy as a means of conveying news.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pundits on the right tend to use \u201cnews\u201d as a means of conveying infotainment.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Many people cannot tell the difference between news and infotainment.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Comedians on the left base their humor on their audiences knowledge of the news.<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Opinion shapers on the right base are best at pontificating their views to those who are least informed.\u00a0 Many in their audiences not only lack factual information but also the ability to know when they are being manipulated.<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When people are disempowered as so many currently are in America, they are susceptible to irrational arguments made by others who want to capitalize on their misery, ergo<\/em> many in the Tea Party.<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When the \u201chaves\u201d in a society manipulate the system to achieve and maintain their largesse, the concerns of those less fortunate become just an afterthought to the concept of the wealthy accumulating more wealth.<\/p>\n

Presenters at the rally might have been asked to convey points such as:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Most Americans are uncomfortable with the agenda from the right.\u00a0 They may not know why, but they sense that either they or others are being used for the advantage of others.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 While the left is far from perfect, it generally tries to use reason as a means of addressing issues.\u00a0\u00a0 Even if most Americans are apolitical, they will use reason as a way of dealing with a host of issues ranging from managing their household budgets to what restrictions should be placed on gun ownership.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Most Americans would prefer that their leaders respect the value of knowledge rather than glorify the simplicity of simple answers to complex issues.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Most Americans would prefer leaders who ask us to sacrifice when necessary.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Most Americans \u201cwant their country back,\u201d but not with a sense of acrimony towards others who are not like them.<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Most Americans value science and don\u2019t think that it should be disregarded for political or religious reasons.<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Most Americans go through their days without seeing social interaction as \u201cus\u201d versus \u201cthem.\u201d<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Most Americans do not see generosity towards the poor as \u201csocialism\u201d or any other political philosophy; rather they see it is plain decency.<\/p>\n

9.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Most Americans are willing to take steps to benefit planet Earth.<\/p>\n

10.\u00a0 Most Americans would like to see the Civil War as over with those favoring unity and opposing degradation of others as the winners of the war.<\/p>\n

Clarity should not be seen as divisive when it includes preferences.\u00a0 Suppose that Jon Stewart had articulated points such as those listed above as a way restore sanity or at least civil discourse to our society.\u00a0 Had he done so it would have been a rally which was not a carnival; rather it would have been a statement that our country needs restoration in many ways and it requires more than the divisive answers of the right.<\/p>\n

Finally, suppose that when President Obama came on The Daily Show, Mr. Stewart had gone through the points he wanted to accomplish in the rally and asked the president to respond briefly and clearly to them, point by point.\u00a0 It might have given the rally more meaning, and perhaps more significantly, have given President Obama an opportunity to clearly articulate points on which Democrats could have run the following Tuesday.<\/p>\n

The Rally for Sanity was a brilliant idea.\u00a0 The only thing worse than not having it would have been to excite people by its prospects and then make light of its significance.\u00a0 Each of us might reflect on whether it was a success or a blown opportunity.\u00a0 Even if it was too frivolous to have a clear meaning, it still provided us with an experience from which we can build a base for another opportunity.\u00a0 We need it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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