How many attended the two Rallies in Washington today?

Early crowd estimates issued by “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear” organizers ran between 10 million and 6 billion. There is no question there are still some Americans who either want to Restore Sanity, Preserve Fear or perhaps do both at once. And today’s twin event provided the dualists a remarkable opportunity to make their voices heard by showing up and saying nothing at all while listening to comedians including Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert lambaste them over a massive PA system.

The signs were zany instead of filled with slogans of hate and divisiveness. The crowd was jubilant instead of angry. There were bear suits and free bear hugs instead of torches and pitchforks.

But is it too little too late? Are we destined for a long night of darkness in America as lies begin to rule our political discourse and handcuffing or head stomping becomes the accepted way to ensure the suppression of any competing ideas? Can intelligence survive in a rising tide of vicious anti-intellectualism?

Were you there? Did you see news coverage from somewhere else? What do you think it all means?