Not Ready to 'Rumble'

I paid $4.95 to watch the so-called "Rumble 2012," a debate between Jon Stewart and Bill O'Reilly.

I'd read a review that said Stewart really laid the smackdown to O'Reilly, but I found the whole event underwhelming - rather than a "rumble," a big yawn.

Neither Stewart nor O'Reilly had a moment where they threw down a zinger that left the other speechless. Each was forceful in arguing their positions. And each got applause at various points from the audience at George Washington University, although the applause did seem to be louder for Stewart.

Rather than shedding light on the issues that divide the nation going into the final days of the presidential election, what the "Rumble" actually did was demonstrate why the nation is so divided. At one point, Stewart and O'Reilly engaged in a "Yes, he did!"/"No, he didn't!" back and forth about something that the president supposedly did or didn't do - very much like two kids squabbling on the playground.

I doubt if during the 90 minutes in which they shared a stage, Stewart or O'Reilly enlightened each other about any of their views.