Posted on 08/31/2012 4:23:14 PM PDT by raptor22
Tampa 2012: In remarks to a chair as vacant as the one in the Oval Office, a Hollywood icon reminds us that the president is a failed employee of the people and it's time to let him go.
As performance shtick, it may not have come off perfectly. But judging from the reaction from those "left of Lenin," as 82-year-old Hollywood legend described it during a sort of surprise appearance at the Republican National Convention Thursday, it skewered our absentee president perfectly.
"Clint, my hero, is coming across as sad and pathetic," tweeted "left of Lenin" film critic Roger Ebert as Eastwood ad-libbed Thursday night to an audience of millions — and one empty chair. "He didn't need to do this to himself. It's unworthy of him."
Eastwood's point, though delivered haltingly, was that President Obama is unworthy of the great nation he disparages and apologizes for incessantly, and that our failed employee should be given his walking papers.
Ebert and others miss the point that it is what Obama has done to us that is sad and pathetic.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.investors.com ...
Though not as well known, I happen to think that would have made a better ending to the speech than “make my day.”
It played well with people who already disapprove of Obama, but frankly to the vast majority of Americans that are mostly apolitical, I don’t think they quite “got it.”
If it was meant to warm up the convention crowd from Romney’s speech, then I would say it worked, but if it was meant to convert independents, then I would say, “not so much.”
Great suggestions. BTW, the rep from Peoria is a young, white Republican in a 40% black dist. Who gets reflected.
It was even better the second time around, the audience loved it as much as we did.
The second time watching it was funnier and better than the first. The left is coming undone over this. I loved the line about Obama becomes as bad as Biden, the "intellect of the Democrat Party".
I loved your analysis and your writing. Very enjoyable to read.
See tag line. Think it impossible?
Strongly disagree all you want. We're fighting Democrats. To show Zero as emblematic of ALL Democrats (including she who was not named) is by far more flexible, powerful, and important toward the goal of conservative governance, of which electing Romney is an unfortunate aspect.
The second thing this did was gig Obama-
Tactical, not strategic.
Oh, and third, do you remember what just a week ago consumed the media and blogosphere? Akin, Akin, Akin. Where is Mr. Akin now?
Tactical, not strategic.
You should know better.
Nope. What did he say?
There's a way to deal with that: Shut down the government and don't spend a dime because it hasn't been authorized by law. We've gone three years with the lie that a continuing resolution constitutes a budget act.
It was one of the most down home speeches anyone has ever given. Got the impression I was siting in Clint’s living room and he was entertaining us as his guests.
Me first, I’m eight years ahead of you. Give me one good punch and there won’t be any nose left for you.
In all sincerity, I looked up the difference between tactical and strategic.
In what way could Eastwood disable the opposition?
If you didn’t like his time on stage, that’s cool. But given the time constaints and location I don’t see how he could have take on the whole Democratic Party and liberalism and had any lasting effect.
One of the numerous threads about this today was an article from American Thinker, or other some such site, that spoke about how an iconic Hollywood actor and director would never show up in public dressed, looking, and acting, as Eastwood did. I agree. I’ve seen him during the year on TV, at golf outings, he always looks impeccable, and was well dressed for the occasion. His dress, his demeanor was part of his schtick.
This was an arranged production. I’m confident of it. The liberal/socialist media and social sites focus on his “dementia”, meaning his appearance and actions, but they completely miss what occurred. Some woman tonight on Fox, a DNC analyst, also was way off base. It was scripted, organized, and effective. After all, Eastwood is a long time actor/producer. What else can I say?
I agree.
And I don’t care what the Romney staff says about not knowing what he was going to do. Of course they did.
By making it easier for the President to be a target of mockery, the most deadly thing in politics. Think Jimmy Carter's rabbit.
Well, maybe you didn’t see the same thing I did.:)
An empty chair with a teleprompter in front of it is pretty mocking.
I think the “chair” will come up again. A little more sophisticated than a rabbit.
Eastwood found the perfect metaphor for the Obama presidency. An empty chair with a teleprompter in front of it. It was poetry.
It was funny enough, but the wrong target; we should be mocking Zero as emblematic of Democratic socialists as a whole. It would have been easy to bring into Eastwood's piece, pointing to the way worshiping Obama just like they have done with many another Marxist dictator, or the way he has deballed our military just like they did before every other major war, which he could have fit into the bit about Afghanistan easily.
It's not hard to do.
Well, I guess he could have fit all of that into 10 minutes. :)
Oh, the campaign knew. What convinces me of that was the schtick about Obama wanting Eastwood to tell Romney to flip himself off. That comes directly from Obama back at the healthcare summit, giving the finger to Paul Ryan while Ryan was lecturing him on the healthcare issue. Eastwood was payback time...
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