I really appreciate Jon Stewart’s earnestness about the importance of people respecting each other’s points of view and being able to work constructively together. I too believe in treating everyone, including my political opponents, the way I would want to be treated, with respect and courtesy no matter how heated the debate. But to hold a rally the weekend before the election, and never once mention voting, was fundamentally wrong.
–Mike Lux, Huffington Post

Jon Stewart made a nice speech Saturday. And the 215,000 turnout (per CBS News estimates) is encouraging for…I’m still not sure. Comedy Central? Restore Jon Stewart’s sanity? DC business? I agree with Mike. Not mentioning voting skipped a significant beat on the democratic process which protects free speech. Saying the four letter V-word does not break your pact with sanity or fear.

VOTE

But I give a harrumph to Jon on this point:
The country’s 24-hour politico pundit panic conflict-onator did not cause our problems, but its existence makes solving them that much harder. The press can hold its magnifying glass up to our problems and illuminate problems heretofore unseen, or it can use its 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.

Don’t just watch and complain. Participate. Use the one power you have. Believe me, if voting wasn’t powerful, people wouldn’t spend so much money, energy. and time to persuade or deter you from using it.

VOTE