Sanity ruled for at least one day in Washington, D.C. as huge crowds showed up last Saturday to offer their support for civility during a volatile political season at a rally hosted by Comedy Central hosts Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

An estimated 215,000 people were on hand for the “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear,” with throngs stretching from the steps of the Capitol to nearly as far down as the Washington Memorial.

Stewart, the host of The Daily Show, and Colbert of The Colbert Report, held the event as a mock response to Fox News host Glenn Beck’s “Restore Honor” rally last August, which took on political undertones despite Beck saying otherwise.

Many at the Stewart-Colbert affair were also there to counter the momentum of Tea Party movement, which has turned into a potent conservative force during a year when Democratic incumbents are in danger.

Check out signs from the Rally to Restory Sanity And/Or Fear

One person at the rally remarked, “I came to show support for the idea that we need to restore sanity and not be prejudiced and fearful about everything, including Muslims. This rally was a statement that people have taken things too far.”

Still, most were there to hear a serious message while not taking themselves too seriously. There were an abundance of humorous signs, including those that read "This is a Good Sign" and “I Ain’t Afraid of No Hosts,” a takeoff on Ghostbusters.

Adding to the fun was music by Sheryl Crow, Yusuf Islam -- former Cat Stevens -- Ozzy Osbourne, and The Roots.

Colbert arrived on stage from his so-called "fear bunker" in a capsule similar to one that rescued 33 Chilean miners. He emerged from it wearing an Evel Knievel-style red, white and blue costume and led the crowd in a chant of “Chi Chi Chi! Le Le Le!”

The keynote speaker was Stewart, who for all his snarky comments on The Daily Show, called for the truth to be told about the real state of the country, especially by the media.

He said, “The image of Americans that is reflected back to us by the political and media process is false.”

Unlike what is reported, according to Stewart, namely that Americans aren’t working together, he said that that the opposite is true and that the U.S. is far stronger than how it’s presented on cable TV. Stewart added that the bickering in Congress doesn’t reflect the nation’s true character.

Calling for rational discourse, rather than partisan shouting and extremism, Stewart declared, "If we amplify everything, we hear nothing."

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