Clint Eastwood at the RNC: Brilliant, or just plain weird?
TAMPA – As the 82-year-old actor and director Clint Eastwood walked onto the stage, with the image of the Confederate veteran Josey Wales in the background, the stage at the Republican National Convention was set for a tour de force.
For 11 minutes, with only Marco Rubio and Mitt Romney between Dirty Harry and the end of the evening, Eastwood debated an invisible President Barack Obama:
But here’s the thing: Eastwood, while he clearly endorsed Romney, was channeling Ron Paul when it came to foreign policy. From Eastwood to the invisible Obama:
”You were against the war in Iraq, and that’s okay. But you thought the war in Afghanistan was okay. You thought that was something worth doing. We didn’t check with the Russians to see how they did there, for the 10 years. But we did it….
“You mentioned something about a target date for bringing everybody home. And you give that target date, and I think Mr. Romney asked the only sensible question: Why are you giving the date out now? Why don’t you just bring them home tomorrow morning?”
Then again, in his acceptance speech on Thursday, Romney didn’t utter the word “Afghanistan.” Not exactly an endorsement of John McCain’s criticism of Obama on Wednesday evening.
By the way, delegates tell me that this was all extemporaneous. There was no teleprompter or text screen rolling in the hall.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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205 comments Add your comment
bigD
August 31st, 2012
9:30 am
Angry white guy? Right. Why aren’t you angry because of the mess obuma has led this country to. By the way stop blaiming others for his failurers in leading this once great nation. Clint was hilarious and hit your man where it hurts and like the baby you are you attack his character. He’s a better man and american at 82 than you would be if you lived to be a thousand.
Drew
August 31st, 2012
9:31 am
Who cares? Obama sucks and has to go! Ask someone who is unemployed or underwater on their mortgage if Eastwood’s speech really matters.
Dirty Harry..A Wagging Tongue Bites Itself (You Are Weird)
August 31st, 2012
9:32 am
FAMILY VALUES?
RNC Rocks Strip Club Business in Tampa.
With the Republican National Convention in full swing, one business in particular seems to be booming, a certain gentleman’s club.
After sending his most attractive women to the RNC with the intention of getting word out about the strip club, the manager (whose identity has been kept private) said the club has been packed.
Cons are hypocrites.
zeke
August 31st, 2012
9:33 am
bucket, did you not see mrs romney’s response this morning? you are not objective, she was. case closed. i do agree obama not great leader and we need one. but progressive policies, not crazy ass liberal poliices, are needed. if you read my earlier post, you would see i think mitt could be a good leader but he is shackled by policies that are not in the best interests of the majority of americans. if your one of the fat cats you’ll be happy. maybe.
Dirty Harry..A Wagging Tongue Bites Itself (You Are Weird)
August 31st, 2012
9:35 am
@Drew
August 31st, 2012
9:31 am
Who cares? Obama sucks and has to go! Ask someone who is unemployed or underwater on their mortgage if Eastwood’s speech really matters.
********************************************************************
Who cares?
What values.
Anything goes just to kick Obama out?
RNC Rocks Strip Club Business in Tampa.
Hypocrites.
God detests hypocrites.
zeke
August 31st, 2012
9:35 am
bucket, my line about repeating yourself was directed at bid d for repeating himself. i should have used a semicolon…sorry
Gary Burley
August 31st, 2012
9:36 am
I think it was disgraceful that the GOP hired a Clint Eastwood impersonator and told him to pretend to be a doolally old geezer who’d lost his marbles…
Wait, What?
WHAT?
Dirty Harry..A Wagging Tongue Bites Itself (You Are Weird)
August 31st, 2012
9:37 am
Republicans WISH THEY COULD HAVE THOSE 13 minutes back.
They got what they deserved. Nothing!
People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Mountain Cracker
August 31st, 2012
9:40 am
Let’s not forget we Georgians are giving Clint 35% of the expenses his company gins up for shooting Trouble With the Curve here in Georgia. He sure built that, or is it BILKED that. Subsidizing Hollywood is now an essential service of government, as passed by the GOP-TP.
We do have a DNR WRD that’s 40% under staffed, an EPD that’s a joke, teacher furloughs (who came up with ‘government schools’ as an insult–GOP?) are routine, and libraries are closing, but we can subsidize movies for the benefit of a very few.
No legitimate study says these tax kickbacks make real jobs and offer a net gain. Another bad Deal (R-TP). Clint ripped poor Detroit for 42%–good acting that he could keep a straight face while shooting Gran Torino.
Get Real
August 31st, 2012
9:42 am
Listen to the liberal venom on this blog…while Clint did seem to ramble a bit, his skit (if you will) was funny and spot on….
Also, I love the hypocrisy and double standard application when libbies discuss the Republicans lying, not saying that the truth was not stretched but the Obama Chicago “scorched earth” political machine would not know the truth if it hit them smack in the face….peleezzz
TG
August 31st, 2012
9:44 am
It was sad to see Eastwood out of place on that stage. Someone should have given him a script and made his time worthwhile. Instead, the Romney staff made a fool out of themselves by not doing a better job of last night. Eastwood is a nice man. He would have said whatever they wanted him to say and delivered it well. However, allowing him to ad lib at that moment was just bad campaign marketing.
Shine
August 31st, 2012
9:48 am
I am stunned they let a baby killer like Eastwood, who insisted Locke have at least two abortions while they were together, speak at all.
GeorgiaDuck
August 31st, 2012
9:48 am
The empty chair symbolized the empty suit. Pretty simple to figure out.
vcobbs
August 31st, 2012
9:49 am
Go Clint. A real common sense Ameican!
On a side note, Looking forward to Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers giving warm glowing trubutes to obummer next week, aren’t you!
I Did Build This
August 31st, 2012
9:52 am
Very clever and funny. Thought it added a lot IMO. Can you imagine if Biden would have done that? How creepy would that be. That fool doesn’t even know what is going on half of the time. Can’t wait until Ryan rips him a new one in the debates. My guess Biden will get questions like “What’s your favorite color”. Biden couldn’t fight his way out of a wet paper bag. Glad Clint did it!
David D
August 31st, 2012
9:52 am
A pathetic attempt on the part of the GOP to resurrect the Reagan era. Mr. Clintwood, along with the rest of the dried out old white men who are bankrolling this last ditch effort to loot what little Bush left of the economy, should be deported.
Too Funnyy!
August 31st, 2012
9:53 am
I absolutely love how all the liberals got their feelings hurt over what was intended for a humorous gig from Eastwood. If Clint would have done that at the DNC he would have been a hero. Bunch of whinning crybabies.
As for the posted so-called celebrities knocking Eastwood, heck I just consider the source of the negative bashing, laugh and move on.
Obama had his chance and did nothing with his chance. What would you expect with a man that had absolutley NO EXPERIENCE!! Shame on the American voters who voted him in office. Not that McCain was much better, but at least there was some kind of experience there. Stick a fork in NoBama, he’s done!
cc
August 31st, 2012
9:54 am
bucket # 9:12 am:
Some people are just too dense to grasp the meaning of the empty chair. The meaning was not lost on anyone with an IQ above room temperature (that automatically excludes libs).
Clint..A Wagging Tongue Bites Itself (You Are Weird) @ 9:13 am:
Mrs. Romney did appear tired, and that is to be expected. MS patients should avoid fatigue-causing endeavors and I’m sure the convention was a very tiring event for her. She was NOT displeased, rather she was tired and doubtless suffering the symptoms fatigue evokes in MS patients.
Three Jack
August 31st, 2012
9:57 am
Weidly brilliant!
JeffyW
August 31st, 2012
9:58 am
Any of his critics straight? Hmmm, didn’t think so.
Patrick Romano WAR DAMN EAGLE
August 31st, 2012
9:59 am
The fact that All these liberals (that have their heads buried in the sand for the last 2 years waiting for a leader to emerge) from this hope & change fiasco (sham) leads me to believe that this Eastwood speech was/is effective and got the point across (albeit awkward) it was effective b/c political pundits and folks that feel jaded by BHO’s untruths/broken promises were listening!!!
The idiots like Star Jones that bash Eastwood don’t mean anything and the fact that they consider The President (A Celeb) is what is EXACTLY wrong with this guy, He’s not a leader and his failed policies are and have not worked, Get over IT, he is a failure as president and will/is going down as The Wrost American president in history (sorry, President Carter). Worst Economic policies post Depression/Recession in HISTORY. Please try to stop re-writing history with outright lies.
It makes NO difference the pigment of his/ours skin it is about failed policies of this ADMIN…
Constructive, Intelligent comments welcomed…
ROMNEY/RYAN Believable In America…no more slick dick daddy with the candied nuts apologizing for our success and making us less secure than his predecessor…
Patrick Romano WAR DAMN EAGLE
August 31st, 2012
10:02 am
Worst President,
Won’t be watching the lies at The DNC, cannot stand or stomach to watch the lies coming out of his mouth and especially Debbie Wasserman Schultz, What a smug, classless person, WOOOOOF
intowner
August 31st, 2012
10:03 am
How about the Daily Show’s ‘Life of Mitt’ as “I Built That,” narrated by Leonard Nemoy, with him singing “All By My Self”?
Never mind that Steven Colbert was visibly really upset and pulled a lulu of his own on his show last night~
Hollywood Elite
August 31st, 2012
10:05 am
Thanks for the subsidies for movie making, little people of Georgia. And no, you can’t audit our claims for the filming kick-backs–they’re as locked down as Mitt’s 1040s.
Those minimum wage non-union temporary movie jobs are the backbone of the GOP jobs program for Georgia. Too bad the jobs are taxpayer subsidized like most of these “built it myself” fantasies on the stage in Tampa.
35% tax credits for Hollywood elites making movies in Georgia! Government intrusion into business is lucrative for these GOP-Tea Party white guys. Forget the state government needs. What a fraud, Clint. We like your acting, but being the producer–the money guy sure ripped us here in Georgia. Maybe Ryan can have you over to his house on the same block where he grew up–it’s a 5,800 square foot mansion.
Grandpa Simpson
August 31st, 2012
10:05 am
Get off my lawn!
GaBlue
August 31st, 2012
10:07 am
Note from the Auburn Family:
Vulgar posts are made to this forum on a regular basis by commenters using the words “War Eagle” in their blog names. Please know that they in no way represent the entirety of the Auburn Family, and the rest of us would appreciate it very much if they would keep the battle cry by which we are often identified out of the realm of political discussion — especially if they are going to be nasty and vulgar, like “TrishaDisha” and Mr. Romano.
Thank you so much!
zeke
August 31st, 2012
10:09 am
don’t you just love the handles of some folks. if i graduated from mit or stanford or top 10 academic school & maybe if i was an arrogant being, i would include in my handle. or some put their service affiliation. all whoopeee do. like that gives these folks more cred.
Too Funnyy!
August 31st, 2012
10:10 am
@Hollywood Elite – Cry me a river! A PRIME example of the Whinning Crybaby Liberal base.
Patrick Romano WAR DAMN EAGLE
August 31st, 2012
10:10 am
@Dirty Harry..A Wagging Tongue Bites Itself (You Are Weird),
Are you serious, You think God despises hypocrites, Then what do you call a president that constantly speaks in hypocracy every time he gets the mike, or maybe you’re just to pea brained a person to realize he does it while wagging the dog!!! (Look it up), you moron…
God made beautiful women and the RNC at Strip Clubs is putting money into the Economy, (Who hasn’t paid one of these nice ladies light bills) or their PhD.?
God Bless USA, Romney & Ryan..
Road Scholar
August 31st, 2012
10:12 am
After watching the replay, I have some specific comments unlike the general ones people have posted: He was not slick, but he was funny at times and had some good lines.
He could only name one “star” (Jon Voight) No one else?
Please comb your hair before addressing the nation!
“..MIGHT be time for someone else to come along and solve the problem?” Awfully non- committal, huh? Might?
Pres Obama did not close Gitmo…Didn’t the repubs vote the funding down?
Didn’t check with the Russians about Afghanistan… Finally a repub who acknowledges history accurately!
“attorneys weigh both sides…”- well I want a president that weighs ALL sides before jumping to a conclusion! Don’t get me wrong, I do not like attorneys, but…
“We own this country…” Spoken by a rich white man to a predominately rich white crowd! Yup!
Finally, when he made the motion to “slit President’s Obama’s throat? That was not classy!
Again, he was funny at times, but…
Fun Size
August 31st, 2012
10:14 am
In the end it does not matter whether Dirty Harry succeeded or failed, what counts is whether Americans believe Obama has succeeded… The conventions are show biz for the right and the left, the voters will take care of business on Nov 6th based on the economy and jobs.
Too Funnyy!
August 31st, 2012
10:14 am
“God made beautiful women and the RNC at Strip Clubs is putting money into the Economy, (Who hasn’t paid one of these nice ladies light bills) or their PhD.?”
________________
Way out of line and off base with that comment. God created people, but people created strip clubs. Do not put God and strip clubs in the same sentence! This is coming from a fellow Republican.
double
August 31st, 2012
10:16 am
All politicians are actors.Some actors are politicians.
Patrick Romano
August 31st, 2012
10:16 am
Got ya, GA Blue, but didn’t think anything in my post to be vulgar, Just the facts-which liberals don’t like to hear or see! Where’s the vulgarity in that?
Just had my tag from AU/UGA blogs. My mistake and if anyone finds it offensive my apologies but I am sick of hearing and seeing these liberal rants that are more of the rhetoric of this party .
God Bless, Patrick Romano
larry t
August 31st, 2012
10:17 am
Clint’s message was right on. Stop belittling the man’s age/rambling delivery, etc, ask youself Are you and your loved ones better off today than 4 years ago?
zeke
August 31st, 2012
10:17 am
much better….
larry t
August 31st, 2012
10:18 am
then vote for Obama
zeke
August 31st, 2012
10:19 am
when romney made pitch for businessman in white house, did he forget paul ryan has been in DC for 99% of his adult working life? how does that square?
cc
August 31st, 2012
10:19 am
Yes, the libs know the defeat is coming! Three and a half years of blaming others, apologizing to the world, engaging in class warfare, refusing to accept responsibility for ANYTHING, very high unemployment and attempting to spend America into oblivion is coming to an end!
The future for an energy-independent America with good jobs available to those able to work is coming! The era of punishing success and abusing small business operators is nearing its end. People with small businesses will now have the confidence and ability to expand knowing that no ‘surprises’ will be forthcoming from President Romney. Others with venture capital will start small businesses. SUCCESS WILL NO LONGER BE PUNISHED, IT WILL BE REWARDED!
America elected Obama . . . and is the poorer for having done so to the tune of $6 trillion added to the national debt with annual deficits exceeding $1 trillion.
Kris Jones
August 31st, 2012
10:20 am
Vote for the Mormon NOT the Moron!
sallyjohanna
August 31st, 2012
10:21 am
Brilliant! His delivery was a little off. But he had more than a few real humdingers! They went straight to the mark!
John 14:6
August 31st, 2012
10:22 am
@Road Scholar – Just keep on believing a president that feels it’s ok to kill human life, to go against the will of the Creator of this world about marriage. God says Man and Woman, but this Peerless leader says, No, man on man, woman on woman is fine.
Love how some people think they know more than God Himself… What a rude awakening they have coming to them and YES, at one time or another every knee will bow before Jesus and claim that He is the King of Kings. The question for people out there is when do you decide to tell Him. Before you die or after you die?
WOW
August 31st, 2012
10:25 am
I find it funny that conservatives on this blog say liberals are always using talking points. Even the Romney people are saying the Eastwood thing was weird. It just was, nothing against the man, but the whole thing was weird.
So who are the ones with the lack of an open mind???
@ Zeke
That is a great point about Ryan that no one seems to want to mention. He spins himself as this son of Wisconsin, but has spent his entire adult life in DC.
cc
August 31st, 2012
10:27 am
GaBlue @ 10:07 am:
You merely dislike TrishaDishaWarEagle because she tells the truth, a trait not common to libs. Her posts are NOT vulgar except in your teeny-weeny mind.
marc
August 31st, 2012
10:28 am
Dirty Harry is a perfect representative for the GOP…mean spirited, small minded, power crazy empty suits with no plan…..totally winging it. LOL. What a joke.
TBone
August 31st, 2012
10:29 am
Bazinga! Clint was great. Unlike Mr. Obama who claims he didn’t do a good job “explaining” the stimulus package. I think rather that he just hasn’t done a good job at anything.
Jay Smith
August 31st, 2012
10:29 am
For a moment, I thought Zell Miller had made a return appearance to the GOP convention.
Garth
August 31st, 2012
10:31 am
Most of the people critical of Eastwood are simply mad and astonished someone had the guts to call Obama on some of his mistakes and shortcomings. The paid left wing “comics,” such as they are, will not and have not commented on Obama. If Johnny Carson were alive, he’d take him on.
But Eastwood was funny and had some good digs–especially the part about Biden, who some think is mentally ill, is nothing but a “grin with a body behind it.” I guarantee you, though, if you thought this speech was hateful and pathetic, then you ain’t seen nothing yet. Wait until the Democratic National Convention for the real venom.
larry t
August 31st, 2012
10:31 am
so zeke, Obama as a community organizer b4, so how has that been doing for the country … I know I know you said better …
Dirty Dawg
August 31st, 2012
10:33 am
What we saw, perhaps for the first time for many of us, was that Dirty Harry, or Josey Waes, or the Man With No Name, or whoever your favorite momory of him is, is now 82 years old and needs to have his drivers license and car keys taken away from him…oh he can keep on ’shilling’ for Rmoney that’s OK with me, but just don’t let him hurt any innocent bystanders. Waiting for the age-old question and answer to be put to those brilliant Republican strategists that secured Eastwood as the ‘mystery quest’, to wit: ‘What the hell were you thinking?’…followed by…’It seemed like a good idea at the time.’