Posted on 09/01/2012 5:29:52 AM PDT by Kaslin
TAMPA, Fla. -- Clint Eastwood put on an odd skit Thursday night at the Republican National Convention. It was awkward to watch and hard to hear, but I have to hand it to Eastwood. He achieved the impossible; he made the gaffe-prone Mitt Romney come across as supremely tactful.
Four years ago, when Barack Obama was elected president, Eastwood told the Republican National Convention on Thursday night, Eastwood thought: "This is great. Everybody was crying. Oprah was crying. I was even crying."
But with 23 million Americans unemployed and the Obama White House not sufficiently interested in solving the nation's economic woes, Eastwood concluded, "When somebody does not do the job, you gotta let 'im go."
"Hope and change had a powerful appeal," Romney said as he accepted the GOP nomination at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. "But tonight I'd ask a simple question: If you felt that excitement when you voted for Barack Obama, shouldn't you feel that way now that he's President Obama?"
During the three years since the economy began to expand in June 2009, median household income in America fell 4.8 percent. According to an analysis of Census Bureau data by Sentier Research LLC, median household income had fallen from $54,916 in December 2007 to $53,508 in June 2009. That was hard, but things could get worse. Under the Obama recovery, that figure dropped to $50,964 by June 2012. Seniors were the only demographic group to see its income rise.
The unemployment rate has exceeded 8 percent since February 2009, yet the president has no plan to get America back to work again. He has proposed ending the Bush tax cuts for the top 2 percent of income tax payers. Why? Not because he expects this huge tax increase to create prosperity but because he thinks the president is supposed to be the fairness czar.
If Obama policies helped, it would be one thing, but as Ann Romney said Tuesday night, the little things, such as gas prices and grocery bills, pile up, while "the big things -- the good jobs, the chance at college, that home you want to buy -- just get harder. Everything has become harder."
On Wednesday night, running mate Paul Ryan made the same point with more bite when he said, "College graduates should not have to live out their 20s in their childhood bedrooms, staring up at fading Obama posters and wondering when they can move out and get going with life."
I'll tell you this much. The Democrats are going to get a lot more personal at their convention in Charlotte, N.C., next week.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., made a point of saying that Obama is not "a bad person"; he's just a bad president.
As Romney neared the end of his talk, he reminded voters that many could not say they are better off than they were four years ago. He noted that in 2008, Obama promised that he would fight climate change and shepherd a moment "when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal."
You don't hear Obama talking about green jobs anymore. But you may remember Romney's pledge: "My promise is to help you and your family."
This convention drew blood.
Eastwood fired up the crowd. Romney’s wife tried to pour water on the enthusiasm the next day. The empty chair image still remains in our minds. Eastwood’s skit worked because the media is going nuts. All the nuts will be performing at next weeks convention.
This is the quote that sticks with me days later. Easy to remember, piquant, telling, all of those despite the fact I loathe Millenials, I want them to find good jobs and take their place in America.
The author needs to get out more. I hear Clint's speech on front porches and patios all the time. Hell, I've given his speech myself (although not nearly so masterfully).
I thought it was brilliant (Clint’s skit) You were thinking he was just a doddering old man but out came the razor sharp knives... multiple times!!!
Night at the Improv!!..
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/08/31/romney-strategist-clint-eastwood-did-a-little-improv/
The best thing is, more than one dem speaker at the DNC is going to make some oblique reference to Eastwood’s presentation in an effort to be clever or sarcastic, but all they’ll succeed in doing is reminding people of what Eastwood said.
I watched Eastwood again last night. He was dead on in control of his faculties and audience
Another viewing on YouTube is really necessary to realize just how many “jabs” at Obama Clint really took. Clint stammers, stutters, pauses, looks at “The Chair” and says “I can’t tell Romney to do that”. It’s Jimmy Stewart talking to Harvey.
While MSNBC talking heads were rubbing their collective hands at Clint's slow delivery, they missed the wily insertion of major zingers. They were caught off guard. They could not fathom the “he can't do it to himself” remark that caught the Obama ‘culture’ in its full measure.
Clint showed everyone just how treacherous he really is.
...lets see empty chairs on porches and front gardens nation wide.....
My initial response was “oh no, he sounds like a fool.” But after it all sunk in and I watched it again, I realized how brilliant this was. And it will have a lasting impact. Everyone at work (and I work with a lot of DEMS) was talking about it.
I sometimes see a bunch of guys in the 80’s in the morning for breakfast. This morning all of them except one were still laughing and amazed at how deft Eastwood was. The one was talking about how Eastwood “embarrased himself”. He said all the “talking heads” said so. The rest of the old gentlemen just rolled their eyes.
What Eastwood did was subtle yet a sledgehammer. It rang bells on numerous levels. It was an amazing performance and anyone that doubts that just does not get it and is beyond home like the one guy I mention above.
Clint Eastwood did something amazing as far as I am concerned and in a way saved the convention.
Good post and tag line, Elena! I feel confident; Mitt wants to win. Let’s get this done!!!
When I first heard about Eastwood’s speech, I was concerned that one of my favorite Hollywood icons had started to slip and I felt a tinge of sadness and embarassment. Then I saw the video....
Clint was masterful. He used a scalpel with the precision of a surgeon to slice, dice, and filet the President in a far more subtle and powerful way than anyone has done before.
Eastwood’s “performance” was truly brilliant. His use of an empty chair flanked by teleprompters wasn’t “in your face” but the symbolism of the President as a “zero” was not lost on anyone. His “conversation” with the President, stating he can’t tell Romney to “do that” again, was subtle, succinct, and had the effect of a rapier in skewering the “O”.
Lastly, his characterization of Biden was dead-on.
I fully expect the Dems to attempt to portray Eastwood as a senile old man next week at their convention. They will, in essence, be bringing a knife to a gunfight. In the words of my favorite conservative actor....”Do you feel lucky chump...well do you...”
I am beginning to think Romney is going to win in a landslide.
This morning the local ABC station showed a canned news report referring to Clint Eastwood's "strange" presentation at the GOP convention. The report claimed GOP officials were checking their watches as Clint's presentation "dragged on" and showed Paul Ryan and his wife sitting stoned-faced, with the unsubstantiated implication this was taken during Clint's ridicule of Traitorbama (rather than during the reading of parliamentary rules).
The MSM clymer report repeated the Demonicrat talking point of introducing any GOP campaign trail report with the rhetorical question of whether Romney/Ryan are overcoming the effects of Clint Eastwood's appearance at the convention.
The fifth-column media whores and MSM Obamabuttboys typically introduce speeches of their Obamassiah or his thugs with phrases like, "The President revealed..." or "White House officials informed..." When introducing GOP speakers, the phrases are typically, "In a controversial statement..." or "In accusations against the President..." or "As Mitt Romney's designated 'attack dog' he said..."
The media's perfidy knows no limits.
I’ve posted this on several threads now, because few people have recognized what Clint’s act really was: a brilliant parody of a classic Jimmy Stewart character, Elwood P. Dowd, from the 1950 movie Harvey.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKECvqSVWPA
A great movie, btw.
That’s only if Mom and Dad haven’t lost their jobs and the childhood bedrooms. And THAT is sad.
The one was talking about how Eastwood embarrased himself.
Obama continues to embarass America. His greatest achievement will be that a majority of voters in 2008 elected him to the highest public office in the land. Clint reminded everyone that they work for us, and when they are incapable of doing the job then we gotta let them go.
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