Jon Stewart to Larry King: D.C. Event ‘Is Not a Political Rally’

Daily Show host appears on CNN to promote Oct. 30 gathering, book — and trash cable network

Jon Stewart told Larry King on Wednesday that his upcoming D.C. “Rally to Restore Sanity”  — unlikely subject of an ethics debate inside of some media newsrooms ("News Orgs Warn Staffers Not to Attend Stewart, Colbert Rallies") — is not going to be political.

KING: Is it a political rally?

STEWART: No. It is in fact not a political rally.

KING: So what are you assuming, there is insanity prevailing and you’re the restoring of the —

STEWART: Do you watch television? Do you live and breathe, my friend? We are presuming that — that 75 to 80 percent of the country, reasonable people, they get along, they may not agree on things but they can do things. And the other 15 percent control it. The dialogue, the legislation. This is for the people that are too busy, that have jobs and lives, and are tired of their reflection in the media as being a divided country and a country that’s ideological and conflicted and fighting. This is for those people. Those people are going to come to Washington, D.C. on October 30th and say to the world —

KING: Who will be speaking other than you and your pal?

STEWART: You're saying we should have planned speakers?

KING: There are no speakers?

STEWART: Oh, Jesus. What —

KING: It’s just a bunch of people rallying?

STEWART: What exactly — what would you — no, it's going to be — we got a whole thing planned. We got guests. Musical. We got things planned. It's going to — it’s going to shock maybe not even just this world, other worlds. Maybe aliens.

KING: Comedy Central telecasting it?

STEWART: Yes.

KING: Fully?

STEWART: Fully.

KING: Other networks permitted to cover it? CNN can come?

STEWART: You can pick up — we call it in the business the feed. You can pick up the feed. We were going to have a feed. We’re like your livestock. There’s going to be a trough.

KING: Are you putting yourself in the same place like Martin Luther King?

STEWART: What?

KING: Well, you're holding a rally in Washington on a Saturday.

STEWART: Let me put it this way. I’m putting myself in the same class as Martin Mull.

Earlier, King asked Stewart his thoughts on “Parker-Spitzer.”

KING: You like that show?

STEWART: Listen, I’m just glad they got a real table. You see — for the first couple of nights, they didn’t have a table, they had a stool with, like, newspapers piled on it. Like they didn't have a guy to just come in and go, maybe we should move those. […] Can I tell you something? You made the right choice. You are leaving this place. You know what you are? You're the last guy out of a burning building, my friend.

KING: Jon.

STEWART: You are —

KING: Stop.

STEWART: Oh, I’m sorry, am I — are we on CNN right now?

KING: You’re on — yes.

STEWART: I thought this was, like, the pre-show banter.

KING: No, no, we're on.

STEWART: Oh, OK. Listen, you're really leaving this place with a great infrastructure and I think you've done — I think it's in a wonderful –

KING: Thank you, Jon.

STEWART: You're a real "Parker/Spitzer."

Comments