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

gadem

August 31st, 2012
3:03 pm

that was entertaining for all the wrong reasons…he was rambling on and they were lapping it up like gravy on a buttermilk biscuit.

larry t

August 31st, 2012
3:33 pm

@zeke, thx for the well-wishes. we are thankful for the opportunities we have had. All things considered we are lucky than many. Back to the current political landscape. I dont vote by party line, dont care much for Palin type of politicians including Obama. I vote for the individuals who as Clint put it – work for us! Obama is the focus at this moment and He is too idealogue and too divisive to serve as my president for the next four years. I wish we would soon have a Reagan, Clinton type of president. In the meantime, Obama has got to go!

Privates Equity Firm

August 31st, 2012
7:10 pm

Thanks Clint for getting those GOPs confused and admitting that they too want withdrawal from Afghan land tomorrow, unless of course Obama calls for withdrawal. Why did Bush send troops there anyway, when the Saudi citizen terrorist volunteers were only being funded by Bin Laden while he hid in Afghan land? The delegates seemed to support withdrawal.

Good to see Clint is thriving,after getting millions in his pocket from filming That Curve film here in Georgia.

Those GOP folks sure know how to pinch the taxpayer for money to give to corporations, even when it makes no net jobs or net benefit. More taxes for movies…we need more celebrity blowhards confusing the GOP delegates…

John Crunkleton

August 31st, 2012
9:52 pm

If you feel that foul and dirty jokes directed at the President of the United States is OK in any case, you can forget trying to wag the flag. You are NOT a patriot. I still remember that the very next day after Obama was elected the head of the Republican Party made the following statement; “Our job now is to make sure that this President fails.” If the President fails at the hands of an American Congress I feel that TREASON has taken place. Explain how I am wrong if you can!

Carol

August 31st, 2012
10:28 pm

After watching last night I came out with so many things. Generally speaking I like Clint’s movies. He has one coming up in a few weeks which I’m sure every Repub will probably drag their entire family to see in a show of support for coming to the convention. I was on the fence about it just because of the main theme around baseball. Now he’s given me another reason to ponder.

He was funny at times. I really did LOL now and then. But for the majority of the speech he was rambling and mumbling. I think he would have played out the FU part of his little skit for another 10 mins. if he could have figured out how to keep the censors happy. That seemed to be the time when he got the most reactions. Unfortunately he really bombed on facts. And staying that we don’t need a lawyer in the WH, well did he forget that his nominee went to law school?