TRANSCRIPT: CLINT EASTWOOD at the Republican National Convention RNC GOP

www.youtube.com ^ | Aug 30, 2012 | Clint Eastwood

[Yosemitest]

Click photo below to link to YouTube.com Clint Eastwood at the Republican National Convention RNC GOP



On the stage is a podium and an empty chair, with an image of "the Outlaw Josie Wales" on the screen behind him.

CLINT EASTWOOD: Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
THANK YOU

(AUDIENCE: Make my day, Make my day. Make my Day, … )

Heh, heh, heh.
Save a little for Mitt.

(APPLAUSE)

Now, I know what you are thinking.
You are thinking,
what’s a movie tradesman doing out here?
You know they are all left wingers out there, left of Lenin.
At least that's what people think. But that's not really the case.
There are a lot of conservative people, a lot of moderate people, Republicans, Democrats, in Hollywood.
It is just that the conservative people by the nature of the word itself, are to play it a little more closer to the vest.
They don't go around, uh ... hot doggin' it.
So uhmmm … but, … but they're there, believe me, that Uh ,,they're there.
And uh, I just uh, I think, in fact, some of them around town, I saw Jon Voight, a lot uh … of people around here to town …

(APPLAUSE)

Jon’s here, an academy award winner. Uh … a terrific guy.
And these people are all like-minded, like all of us.

Uh …so I … uhm … I’ve got Mr. Obama sitting here. And he’s … uh I … I … I was gonna' ask him a couple of questions.
But uh … you know about -- I remember about uh … three and a half years ago, when Mr. Obama won the election.
And though I wasn't a big supporter, I was watching that night when he was uh … having that thing
and they were talking about "hope and change" and they were talking about, "yes we can",
and it was dark … uh outdoors, and it was nice, and people were lighting candles, and


They were saying, uh … uh, you know, and I just uh, thought, this was great.
Everybody is crying, Oprah was crying. And uh …

(LAUGHTER)

I was even crying.
And then finally … and I haven’t cried that hard since I found out that uh, … there's 23 million … unemployed people in this country.

(APPLAUSE)

And even … Now that … Now that IS something to cry for … because …. that is a disgrace, a national disgrace, and we haven’t done enough,
obviously… uh, this administration hasn’t done enough to cure that.
And uh, … Whenever, uh whatever interest they have … is not strong enough, … and I think possibly now … it may be time for somebody else … to come along and solve the problem.

(APPLAUSE)

So, Mr. President, (Clint faces the empty chair)
how do uh … how do you handle … uh, how do you handle … the promises that you have made when you were running for election,
and how do you handle uh, how do you handle it?

I mean, what do you say to people?
Do you just uh … you know …

I know --
people were wondering --
you don’t …handle that --
OK. Well, I know even people in your own party were very disappointed when you didn’t close GITMO.
And I thought, well I think … closing GITMO …. why close that, we spent so much money on it.
But, uh … I thought maybe as an excuse …
Oh …
what do you mean shut up?

(LAUGHTER)

OK, it's just uh, I thought maybe it was just because somebody had the stupid idea of trying uh … terrorists in downtown New York City.
It's just uh …

(APPLAUSE)

I’ve gotta' uh, I've gotta' hand it to you.
I gotta' give credit where credit's due.
You did overrule that, finally.
And uh, that's so, that’s uh …. now we're moving onward.
And uh, I know you were against the war in Iraq, and that’s okay.
But you thought the war in Afghanistan was uh, was OK.
I mean -- you thought that was something that was worth doing.
We didn’t check with the Russians to see how did there … for the 10 years.

(LAUGHTER)

But, but it uh … we … we did it, and it was uh, you know, it's something uh … to be thought about,
and I think that uh … that when we get to uh … maybe … I think uh … (Clint faces empty chair)
you’ve mentioned something about … having a target date for bringing everybody home.
And you give that target, uh, target date, …
And I think uh … Mr. Romney asked the only sensible question on it, He said, uh ...
“Why are you giving the date out now?
Why don’t you just bring 'em home tomorrow morning?”

(APPLAUSE)

And I thought … I thought, yeah … there's a ….(Clint looks at empty chair surprised)
I'm not gonna' shut up, it's my turn.

(LAUGHTER)

So anyway, we've got …. we’re gonna' have a … we’re gonna' have to have a … a little chat about that.
And then, uh … I, I just wondered, all these promises …
and then I wondered about uh, uh you know, when, when the uh, (Clint looks at empty chair like Obama's constantly interrupting him,)
What?
What do you want me to tell Romney?
I can’t tell him to do that.
That uh… He can’t do that to himself.



(APPLAUSE)


You’re crazy,
You’re … you're absolutely crazy.
That's what … You’re getting as bad as Biden.
Geesh …

(APPLAUSE)

Please ...
That's what …
Of course we all know Biden is the … pardon, Biden is the intellect of the Democratic party.
So we all know … where the uh … gravity is.

(LAUGHTER)

Just a … kind of a … kind of a grin with a body behind it, you know, and uh …a thing.

(LAUGHTER)

But I just think that uh, I just think that there's so much to be done,
and I think that Mr. uh, Mr. Romney and Mr. Ryan are two guys that can come along.
Ya' see, I never thought it was a good idea for attorneys to be the president, anyway.
Because if the….

(APPLAUSE)

Yeah, I think … I think attorneys are so busy, you know they’re always taught to argue everything,
and always weight everything -- weigh both sides...
And they're always uh, …you know.
They're always uh, … devil’s advocating this … and bifurcating this and bifurcating that. You know all that stuff.
But, I think it is maybe time …(Clint looks at empty chair as asking Obama)
what do you think
for maybe a uh … a businessman.
How about that? Yeah!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERS)

A stellar businessman. Quote, unquote, a stellar businessman.

And I think it’s that time.
And I think if you just kind of step aside … and Mr. Romney can uh … kind of take over.
You could still use a plane.

(APPLAUSE)

Though, … though maybe a smaller one, not that big gas guzzler you're driving around, when you're going around to colleges … and uh … talking about student loans and stuff like that.

(APPLAUSE)

I think you're an … an ecological man.
Now why would you want to drive that truck around?
OK. ….Well anyway.
All right, I’m sorry.
. I can’t do that to myself either.
Anyway …
I see.

(APPLAUSE)

But I'd just like to say something, ladies and gentlemen.
Something that I think is very important.
It is that, you … we … we own this country.

(STANDING OVATION)

Thank you.
Thank you.

(CROWD: USA, USA, USA, …)

We uh … we own it.
It is not you owning it, and not politicians owning it.
Politicians are employees of ours. And they are uh …

(APPLAUSE)

And … so … they're just going to come around and beg for votes every few years, and It's the same old deal.
But I just think uh … it's important that you realize , that and … and … that you’re the best … in the world.
And uh, whether you're a Democrat or whether you're a Republican or whether you’re libertarian or whatever,
you're the best.
And we should not ever forget that.
And when somebody does NOT DO the job, we got to let 'em go.
Let 'em go.

(LONG STANDING OVATION)

Okay, just remember that. And I’m speaking out for everybody out there.
It doesn’t hurt, we don’t have to be … (Clint looks at someone in the audience)

(SOMEONE IN THE CROWD: Clint! You made my day!)

(LAUGHTER)

I don't say that word anymore.
Well, maybe one last time.

(LAUGHTER)

We don’t have to be -- what I’m saying is …
we don't have to be mental masochists and vote for somebody that we don’t really even want in the … in the uh … in office
we uh … just because they uh … seem to be nice guys or maybe NOT SO nice guys,
if you look at some of the recent ads going out there, I don’t know.

(SOMEONE IN THE CROWD: Clint! Make my day!)

(CHEERS)

But … okay.
? You want to make my day, huh?
All right.

(APPLAUSE AND CROWD STARTS STANDING)

Alright.
I start it, you finish it.
"Go ahead."

(AUDIENCE: "Make my day!")

Alright.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.

[Yosemitest]

Thank you very much, Clint.
We all love you and have great respect for you and your body of work.

[bcsco]

His schtick with the chair was fantastic. Especially the “He can’t do that to himself” routine.

[Yosemitest]

I loved it, too.

[ExTexasRedhead]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHEHhcVIOdY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[PapaNew]

A kind of down-to-earth assessment of Obama and our country - kind of nice, really. Basically saying we the people are in charge here and politicians are our employees so when they fail to do the job, we gotta let ‘em go. No wild eyed rant - what a relief. He’s been in politician office himself BTW.

[bcsco]

I downloaded the video from YouTube. It’s going to be a classic reminder of this convention.

[Yosemitest]

That was beautiful. Job well done, and well worth my time.
Thank you very much.

[A'elian' nation]

Maybe a bit too down to earth. I don’t know, I felt sorry for him up there to see him age like that. Sometimes a teleprompter can be your friend.

It was good of him to come, but it felt out of place coming before Rubio’s and Mitt’s stirring speeches. Both of them did a great job, and did you notice Romney knew every word and verse of America the Beautiful ?

[ZULU]

God bless you Clint. You are a Great American!!

MAKE THEIR DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Daveinyork]

Just before I pull the GOP lever in the polling place, I’ll pretend I’m talking to Obama, “Mr. Obama, you have to ask yourself a question.....”

[khelus]

Thanks for adding in all those great images.

[LauraJean]

I loved it too. It reminded me of Bob Newhart’s phone routines.

[Yosemitest]

My pleasure. Thanks for noticing.
Check out the link behind "THE BEAST," Obama's armored car.

[bcsco]

Check out the link behind "THE BEAST," Obama's armored car.

I'd say it's emblematic of his entire presidency, except that he's done exactly what he intended to do, make America a 2nd rate nation.

[MestaMachine]

“Sometimes a teleprompter can be your friend.”

He had a teleprompter, but it froze on the first page. He had to wing it from there, but I thought his takeoff on Jimmy Stewart’s “Harvey” was ingenious.
I also thought it was a subtle mocking of obama who actually DOES talk like that when he’s trying to speak extemporaneously.
Whatever the case, Clint Eastwood is a GREAT AMERICAN and I love him to death. People who are mocking him today do not have a sliver of couth in their entire bodies.
Those who have never seen “Harvey” should enrich their existence by making a special effort to rent it and watch it because it’s a ckassic for all ages. My little one swears she can see Harvey, a six foot white rabbit, Elwood P. Dowd’s best friend, and you know what? Sometimes I think she actually can. She still has her imagination and innocence and I have never dissuaded her from it. ‘Grownups’ should be so lucky.

[p. henry]

Good call. I thought Jimmy Stewart, but Newhart is good too.

[Yosemitest]

I agree. He IS intentionally trying to "collapse the system".

[bcsco]

I wasn’t thinking of comparisons between comedy routines or movies; my first impression was “Empty chair = Empty suit”, and that stuck with me throughout the routine. Also, Obama ostensibly telling Eastwood (and Romney) to go [ ] oneself, brought back those images of Obama with his middle finger raised. All-in-all, it was a masterful put down of Obama.

[fatnotlazy]

I liked Eastwood’s speech a lot better than those of the others, even Romney. Very straightforward. It’s the kind of plain speaking that resonates with the average person.

So what if it wasn’t scripted and he didn’t use a teleprompter? He said what he had to say. Goodness knows we have had enough of almost four years of canned speeches and the teleprompter from the Liar-in-Chief.

[StAnDeliver]

"we don't have to be mental masochists and vote for somebody that we don’t really even want in the … in the uh … in office just because they uh … seem to be nice guys or maybe NOT SO nice guys, if you look at some of the recent ads going out there, I don’t know."

I'm wondering if this is the tell, since it came just before the denouement.

Could Eastwood be pizzed at Bobo's patently false ad accusing Romney of murdering that man's wife. Could that have been the tipping point where he picked up the phone?