View Full Version : Clint Eastwood at the Rep. Convention
Anyone else think this was pretty weird? I was almost afraid he was going to need to be taken off the stage.
And his little empty chair routine was very strange. Was he drunk? Getting senile? It just didn't seem like the old Clint Eastwood. Well, actually it IS the OLD Clint Eastwood! :~)
Seems like they would have approved what he was going to do on stage ahead of time, and I would find it curious if they did approve it. I think all they wanted was a big celebrity who was for Romney.
But I thought it was pretty poor. I think it would have meant more if he'd just talked about the things about Romney he thought were important.
His comments were weird, disrespectful,and out of place. I actually got some enjoyment from it regardless. It was true to the gruff Clint Eastwood character and added a little humor and imagination to an otherwise stodgy and predictable event.
We watched it after the fact, and I felt such embarassement on his behalf that I couldn't watch the whole thing.
Poor old guy. They are gonna just kill him on Saturday Night Live!
ApatheticNoMore
9-1-12, 3:49am
The thing is the points he made were actually better than most I'd expect from the Romney campaign. Obama promised to close Gitmo and didn't (yes and contra Eastwood he should have). Afghanistan is a disaster and the U.S. military should get out (yes but that's not Romney policy). What came across like genuine concern for the unemployed (his numbers were wrong but we also know that government figures understate true unemployment). See a populist campaign with these starting points could catch fire against Obama (especially among moderates etc.). But the only campaign we actually have is Romney and Eastwood just comes across as not knowing whose convention he is at. But it really wasn't a bad pitch to make to non-Republicans. And his empty chair routine was kinda funny. Until they cart me away and detain me indefinitely I'm going to laugh at disrespect to the powerful whenever I want to (they have power, we have humor).
Senile or not? It's hard to say. Maybe we are too quick to label older people as senile, when they really just struggle with responding as quickly as younger people. Ageism you know, older people are written off in many ways, the wall descends between us and them and it's sad. Ill informed on some things, not an intellectual or a man of ideas, and maybe in some sense not really a very political guy even? Yes, but that's not equivalent to senile. It may not be who you want giving your speeches, but then again, maybe it's an attempt at "common man" appeal.
I think all they wanted was a big celebrity who was for Romney.
Yea which speaks of desperation and it's a sad desperation too, because who really cares what celebrities think (unless they prove themselves extrodinarily well-informed or something and win respect that way). I'd rather hear what a local community college professor who knows about the subject thinks, heck I'd rather hear what a random (wo)man on the street (who probably has more life experience and less arrogance than a celebrity at least) thinks.
Senile or not? It's hard to say. Maybe we are too quick to label older people as senile, when they really just struggle with responding as quickly as younger people. Ageism you know, older people are written off in many ways, the wall descends between us and them and it's sad. Ill informed on some things, not an intellectual or a man of ideas, and maybe in some sense not really a very political guy even? Yes, but that's not equivalent to senile. It may not be who you want giving your speeches, but then again, maybe it's an attempt at "common man" appeal.
Regardless of one’s opinion of Clint Eastwood’s speech/performance at the GOP convention, in a society that idealized and idolizes youth, he will be ridiculed by the media as an aged, out of touch individual in SNL skits, youtube parodies, etc.. Sad commentary on the arrogance and mean spiritedness so prevelent today.
rodeosweetheart
9-1-12, 8:38am
+4 to what APM and goldensmom said (that is 2 times 2 for each)
Well, one thing is for sure: He won't be speaking at any more RNCs.
try2bfrugal
9-1-12, 9:51am
He has a movie coming out in September. I don't think his speech will be much of an incentive for younger audiences to want to see more of him.
For a party that wants to impress us with their "can-do" genius, you'd think they'd vet their speakers a little better. Eastwood has a romantic history that makes Newt Gingrich look like an innocent (five wives, a bunch of out-of-wedlock children, and a legion or two of well-known lovers), and political views (he's pro-choice and has gone on record as maybe Libertarian (the libertine branch? ;) ), but definitely not conservative. I couldn't watch more than a minute of it; he should have had a script--and followed it.
The Clint Eastwood scene is another one that I didn't watch of the Republican Convention, but being libertarian and pro-abortion certainly doesn't kick anyone out of the big tent.
Not at all.
The Storyteller
9-1-12, 4:07pm
Regarding the empty chair, the president posted the below pic and tweeted, "This seat is taken."
http://www.bet.com/news/features/vote-2012/news/politics/2012/08/31/obama-to-eastwood-this-seat-s-taken/_jcr_content/featuredMedia/newsitemimage.newsimage.dimg/083112-politics-barack-obama-seats-taken-president.jpg
Pretty funny. Guy has a sense of humor.
I thought it was a bit unlike Obama to tweet something like that, and I heard that it was it campaign group that did it. I hope they passed it by him first.
I thought it was a bit unlike Obama to tweet something like that, and I heard that it was it campaign group that did it. I hope they passed it by him first.
I think it's a funny response regardless if he did it or not. I don't think it is entirely unpresidential if that's the criticism.
I just don't like the leaders of the country acting like junior-high kids........which is really easy to do with these electronics.
(I was saying it didn't seem like something Obama would do).
I just don't like the leaders of the country acting like junior-high kids........which is really easy to do with these electronics.
(I was saying it didn't seem like something Obama would do).
It's funny if he only does it once. But I'm not weighing in on it being typical of him or not, I'll stay away from that, and it's likely that he didn't do it anyway. I guess I see Tweets are largely inconsequential communications anyway. Nothing deep is going to be expressed in a tweet.
It's funny if he only does it once. But I'm not weighing in on it being typical of him or not, I'll stay away from that, and it's likely that he didn't do it anyway. I guess I see Tweets are largely inconsequential communications anyway. Nothing deep is going to be expressed in a tweet.
Exactly. I agree. I see this kind of thing as just fun, a sense of humor I think.
As far as Clint Eastwood goes, I see it this way. Having a son who is an actor, I understand this kind of thing as not really him being a dotting old man, but his being this type of personality who isn't afraid to 'put it out there', if you know what I mean. This type of person, which I am familiar with, isn't afraid to 'try something' or put it on the line, like the rest of us would be. I can absolutely see him thinking this bit would go over, but it didn't. So what! He tried, and it didn't work. I think the rest of us can't possibly imagine putting ourselves on the line like this, risking possible ridicule, so we attribute it to old age, or senility. I think he simply took a risk that didn't pan out. I don't think this should really reflect on Romney or his campaign staff in any way. Believe me, I see it all the time with my son, and it's a white knuckle ride all the way! Fortunately he has been successful with what he has risked, but it could all go so wrong in a flash!
As a side note, my son has worked with Eastwood on films and he has the utmost respect for the guy. He says Eastwood is a very straight forward and pragmatic director, more often than not, getting everything he wants in one take. He says most everyone on set respects and likes working with him. FWIW
I just hate to think he will go down as a joke on late night TV. He isn't a joke. He is someone who risked more than most of us would be willing to risk. IMO
Yeah, but Pale Rider is a good movie.
"I just hate to think he will go down as a joke on late night TV. He isn't a joke. He is someone who risked more than most of us would be willing to risk. IMO "
His speech reminded me of every presentation I ever gave in college. I shudder to remember. http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/remake/rtfm.gif
The Storyteller
9-1-12, 11:42pm
I see it as, he was mocked in a humorous manner, and responded with humor. I'm sure it was actually some quick whitted aide, but he had to have approved it. That still takes a good sense of humor.
Peggy, as a storyteller, I know all about putting yourself out there. I once did a 2 and half minute bit in drag and knew 10 seconds in it was a horrible choice. I still had to finish it. What a terrible couple of minutes THAT was. Had nightmares for weeks.
I still love Clint, and I feel for him.
The Clint Eastwood scene is another one that I didn't watch of the Republican Convention, but being libertarian and pro-abortion certainly doesn't kick anyone out of the big tent.
Not at all.
I imagine that's true when it comes to financial backers and voters (think of the Log Cabin Republicans), but not so true when it comes to elected representatives. I could be wrong.
I thought he was fine. Clint being Clint, in my opinion. He can do whatever he wants at this stage of the game simply because of who he is. It was all comedy and tongue in cheek on his part. He knew exactly what he was doing... I can't believe anyone suggesting that he is senile!
It was also fun to see him shake up the boring RNC a little. Now that was fun to watch. ;)
ApatheticNoMore
9-2-12, 3:22pm
I found Obama joking back about his seat offensive. Someone who linked to it has been a bit hysterically anti-Obama, so I expected meh it's not going to be a big deal, they're overreacting again to nothing probably, their brain has just become completely Obama hatred adled. But then the picture struck a really bad chord, gut level offensive to me, because what it embodied to me is "the arrogance of power".
I can sit in this chair and do what the Obama administration does and do it unilaterally, without congress etc.. Maybe it's a terror tuesday meeting, and I can sit in my seat and have the power of life and death over other human beings and I can make jokes about how much power I have. I can disobey a *federal court order* temporarily blocking implementation of the NDAA and I can refuse to even say if I am detaining anyone under the NDAA at present. I'm powerful and it's funny how much power I have. Only ... it's not. Power without *humility* is evil.
"I can hand out a million vaccinations
Or let'em all die in exasperation
Have'em all healed of their lacerations
Have'em all killed by assassination
I can make anybody go to prison
Just because I don't like'em and
I can do anything with no permission"
True the joke was probably not done by Obama himself.
Oh and I agree with peggy's possible take on Eastwood. Mostly because I have known and loved (platonically, I don't date twice my age or something) older people who are a little slow in their speech but actually sharp as a tack mentally, and I can't imagine how bad my speech would be ad libbing to thousands (though it's true I'm not an actor). Of course I have known and loved other people who have become senile as well.
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