The answer I gave is that I'm a big Stewart fan, and that it was a great excuse to meet up with some friends I made on the Obama campaign that live in DC. This is true, but it also underlies that I didn't really know why I was going to the rally, or what it was for. It became apparent that I wasn't alone in this, that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert also seemed to lack a coherent message throughout a very entertaining few hours. The last ten minutes not only brought clarity to the question, but reminded me why I love leadership and community building.
Jon closed the rally by stating that he was aware that most of us didn't know why we were there, and that he didn't have a firm grasp on it himself. He stated that he didn't have control over how the Rally was reported in the press, but that being on the National Mall on that day served to remind him (and me) that the divides we allow to be created are artificial. There may be conservatives, there may be democrats and liberals and tea partiers and separatists but at the end of the day the vast majority of us find a way to work together. Demonizing people that we disagree with; making all muslims terrorists, all tea partiers
Mostly, watching Ozzy Osbourne and Cat Stevens on the same stage was awesome :).
*update* Here is Jon Stewart's closing speech at the Rally:
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