>>I know this is a tier 1 veteran actor/director, and expected a smoother delivery.<<
He is not a stand up comedian. He is an actor. Given that he was supposed to have a teleprompter delivering his lines and said teleprompter fried out (conspiracy? /s/) or so the rumor goes, I think that 82 year old man did quite well. He went up cold. Imagine rehearsing your lines knowing that you had teleprompter back up and suddenly having to deliver without. Hellsbells, I’ve done the readings at church and messed up worse than Eastwood did.
I want to see BO do better.
AND as one bright FReeper said, it took Akin out of the headlines.
Actually, he was delivering it just as the original actor (Jimmy Stewart) did.
Except Jimmy Stewart was talking to the invisible rabbit Harvey, while Clint was talking to an invisable pResident.
Teleprompter or no, what professional performer would not go in with back up notes?
I found it painful to watch.
However, the net effect was good. And I do, BTW, have an empty stool out on the front lawn, next to my Romney lawn sign.