( CNN ) -- OK , there 's no way to write this article without name dropping . To cut to the chase , I know Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert , and you do n't . I used to work for `` The Daily Show '' and `` The Colbert Report '' as the audience warm-up act . Not a bad day job . But knowing the hosts did n't mean I got to parade on stage at Saturday 's `` Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear . '' I was in the audience with the thousands of fans , reporting on the events for CNN . But the audience was where the real spectacle unfolded this weekend . Stewart , Colbert preside over rally . In a lot of ways , the people congregating on the National Mall looked just like the people I used to perform for back at `` The Daily Show '' and `` The Colbert Report . '' Black , white , Hispanic , old , young -- every race , every ethnicity and every age group was represented in the sea of fans . The unifying characteristic , however , was that they were overwhelmingly thoughtful and hilarious Americans . They appreciate good comedy and political satire . And they know how to create it themselves . That was made was obvious in the signs they carried . `` God Hates Nags , '' `` Hitler was a total Nazi '' and the mundane but humorous `` this is not a protest sign . '' And like all good comedy shows , everyone sported a smile . Humor brought everyone together . In the days to come , there will be some commentators questioning whether Stewart and Colbert crossed the line from comedians to political commentators . In all honesty , I 'd say , yeah , I think they did make a political stance at the rally . The fact is comedy is an art form . And comedians are artists . People at rally : No Tea please . You ca n't be passionate about something and not have some part of yourself and your beliefs shine through . The message Stewart and Colbert were peddling came through loud and clear . As Jon said : `` We live now in hard times . Not 'end times . ' `` Whatever your politics , I think everyone can agree that taking a step back and approaching our nation 's problems rationally and sanely is the only way solve them . And we have to do it together . As difficult as that might sound , we have to learn more about the issues we all care so passionately about . And then we have to have a civil conversation . Without fear , and without insanity .
CNN 's Pete Dominick once worked with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert . Dominick was n't talking to his pals ; he was out Saturday observing folks attending rally . Dominick finds that a good sense of humor is what attendees had in common . Funny signs he spotted : `` God Hates Nags , '' `` Hitler was a total Nazi ''