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Subscribe to RSSKENNER, La -- It was a substance-free, 12-minute prime-time performance that remains unlikely to sway a single vote, but Clint Eastwood's cameo appearance and conversation with an empty chair representing President Barack Obama in Thursday night's final hour of the Republican convention coverage remained a prime topic on the campaign trail Friday.
Mark Wilson / Getty Images
Actor Clint Eastwood speaks to an empty chair Thursday during the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
Mitt Romney's top strategist told reporters on the candidate's campaign plane Friday that the moment should be judged as a performance, and that while not everyone may have liked it, Eastwood's very presence -- and concern for out-of-work Americans in particular -- made the rambling remarks by the 82-year old Academy Award winner worthwhile.
"The fact that he’s there shows he’s speaking his mind and if somebody wants to say I would have liked this different performance or that difference performance, have it," Romney campaign strategist Stuart Stevens told reporters, comparing the remarks to two famous Eastwood films. "Some people didn’t like 'Dirty Harry,' some people didn’t like 'Gran Torino,' that’s OK."
And while Ann Romney and several of Romney's top advisers remained stone-faced during Eastwood's appearance, Stevens said Mitt Romney very much enjoyed it.
"I was backstage with him and he was laughing," Stevens said."[Romney] thought it was funny."
A Romney adviser confirmed the remarks were ad-libbed, and the use of an empty chair as a prop was not discussed by the campaign. If there was any panic during the remarks, the adviser said, it might have come from the control room, where convention planners watched Eastwood continue for more than double his allotted time.
"He did what actors do sometimes, he did a little improv. If someone wants to say this wasn’t Clint Eastwood’s greatest performance, have at it. It doesn’t matter, you know," the adviser said. "It’s I think people saw that Clint Eastwood was not only endorsing Romney but endorsing the need for change. I liked that."
Meanwhile in Virginia, Romney running mate Paul Ryan faced a question by a reporter from NBC’s Hampton Roads affiliate WAVY if Eastwood's remarks were a distraction.
Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood made a surprise appearance at the Republican National Convention, but his rambling speech, which included a make-believe conversation with President Obama, got a mixed reception. NBC's Tamron Hall reports.
"I think Clint Eastwood was just being Clint Eastwood,” Ryan said in the interview to air Saturday. “One of the most profound things Clint said was that 23 million people out of work struggling to find jobs is just unacceptable."
Vice President Joe Biden, who was the butt of several of Eastwood's sharpest jokes, didn't mention the 'Dirty Harry' actor's performance during campaign stops in Ohio Friday.
But, according to pool reports, a supporter did allude to Eastwood's chair act, insisting to Biden during an impromptu stop at an Ohio fairgrounds that "You gotta keep the chair."
Biden didn't directly acknowledge the "chair" comment but gave the woman, Bev Kalmer of Poland, Ohio, a kiss on the lips.
Ann Romney, who spoke in prime time on the first full night of the convention, told CBS that Eastwood is "a unique guy and he did a unique thing" during his RNC appearance.
Asked if she was surprised by the unusual speech, she laughed and said merely "I didn't know it was coming."
Related: Clint Eastwood's 'invisible guest' RNC appearance is a hit online
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It's almost like we warned all these liberals that Obama would do this to our nation before the election. Oh wait, we did. This is an "I told ewe so" moment. Hope and Change! :)
It's all they have left. No budgets, no solutions, just stuffing their pockets with cash before the term expires.
It is more than obvious that Clint Eastwood gave a speach that really hit a raw nerve in liberals. Come November we’ll have to conduct a root canal.
It's 3 days later and I'm still shaking my head, trying to figure out why Clint could lower himself to speak for the republicans. I guess he is no different than LIAR Romney and Lyin Ryan, they are all senile. At least Clint has an excuse he's getting up there in age. Clint Clint Clint sorry you have had to stoop so low buddy.
VOTE: O&Joe 2012
That‘s all it takes to get Obama’s panties all in a knot? An 82 year old ACTOR calling him an empty chair. That’s all that the DNC can be offended by, not what J. Bush, Rubio and everyone else who spoke about in regards to Obama’s record or lack of. Obama is not only an empty chair, he’s an empty head.
And I thought the liar and chief wasn’t watching? Oh that’s right another lie.
Seeing the Democrat bitterness and tears here is good for the soul. So brainwashed, and stuck in denial. They have nothing left to offer, nothing. All that so called "education" wasted.
We really should raise taxes on Democrats. They want all this debt, then let them pay for it.
Enough: It's sure as hell correct that with your level of education and intellect you're not required to pay any taxes. We pay to support you and your ilk.
I find it amazing that die had Democrats are all in denial. I have read numerous times in these comments that 23 million unemployed is a "lie". It is not. 23 million are either unemployed or have stopped looking for work. 1 in 6 working age adults are out of work. That's a fact. Government can never be big enough or spend enough to employ that many people and no one in the administration has a clue as to how to get the economy going. Obama's answer is merely to rally the troops by increasing taxes on the "rich". The CBO says that the annual $ from the tax increase would cover the federal budget for ONE day out of the year.
Obama might as well admit that his spending habits will result, sooner or later, in tax increases on the middle class as well. Meanwhile, he engages in class warfare against those in this country that are successful--
We need a change!
I find it amazing that Conservatives have all bought into the strategy that pathological lies are the way the way to the White House and that the American people are too stupid to catch them in the lies prior to November 6.
Rap1: I know this one will get by you given the depth of your formal education and level of intellect. But, America had a huge debt at the end of WW II. Americans not only paid taxes but also bought War Bonds to provide money for the war effort. We won the war and then we tackled the debt.
In 2008, America was faced with another threat that was about to destroy us, namely, the collapse of the financial markets. Henry Paulson, George W Bush's Secretary of the Treasury, announced in October 2008 that the American financial markets were days maybe hours away from complete collapse. The DOW had fallen like a shot to 6,000. President Bush proposed TARP to deal with the crisis and Senator came back to Washington to vote it up or down. TARP passed and the federal government began pouring billions into the markets as did every other industrialized country on the planet. President Obama was inaugerated in January 2009 and he immediately proposed the Stimulus Package to bolster TARP. He also announced to the nation that it would increase the size of the debt, but the nation would handle that problem after the crisis of a complete, world-wide, economic depression was prevented. That money is what caused the debt. The two wars he inherited, of course, has added to the debt, but he is winding both down. Unfortunately, all of this is way beyond your formal education level.
In Hollywood, coming out the closet means a whole new thing these days.
Judging by the hateful intolerance seen from the left towards anybody that is not like-minded, you can see why.
For conservatives, coming out of the closet STILL means you will be treated as a 2nd class citizen. True story.
Seems the Republicans Convention would of had better success inviting
"Honey Boo Boo"
to be the surprise speaker, as that's what their droid base was tuned into....
So, in talks with other independents, we all agree that the Republicans blew their convention with Clint and that was NOT what we wanted to see. We wanted to see the contrast between Romney and the previous Republican administration and the current one and instead of talking about substance, we are talking about Clint. Epic fail for the RNC! Funny... but sad at the same time.
Spoken like a true liberal. You are no Independent voter, but you do enjoy playing one on the Internet.
Romney leading Obama in polls, and it will increase up to elections. RNC convention a success. The Obama experiment nearing it's close. I can't believe he was even running again. If he was a Republican, there would have been riots. Now maybe we will get someone that actually "worked for a living" in the office. The media can actually get back to doing it's job for the people again, instead of ignoring and whitewashing the massive failure of Obama and Democrats. GOP investigating cash to MSNBC by Obama and Dems, so let's see where that goes. Someday, the massive corruption by Democrats will end.
Mr. Eastwood, I love you, you are a phenomenal actor and director, but please don't write your own material anymore. Had you merely directed the chair by itself, you would have made a better 12 minute video.
i'll take clint over bill marr, or rev al anytime
Way to go Mr. Eastwood!!!!! Direct hit! Made my day for sure, as well as a lot of other Americans. ;)
Have a good day while you can. It doesn't bode well for Willard Romney that a senile, aged actor's ramblings can completely overshadow him.
You people should be talking about the wonderful attributes and plans of your candidate, not Clint Eastwood's demented ramblings.
Everyone is talking about Clint because of the intolerant hatred being spewed by the left over his remarks.
Like yours, daisychains.
I just went and watched Eastwood's speech. Besides the fact that he was not very articulate, he made some great points and had some legitamately funny lines. All you libs who didnt watch the rest of the convention have no right to bash it or Romney. It was the best convention from either party that I have seen in many years!
I thought the chair gave a wonderfully unstated and subtle performance.
I understand that the Simpson's couch was very proud of this distant relative.
If any of you immature idiots on here saying nasty things about Clint think he gives a rat's butt about your opinions, think again. He doesn't have to. You're just trying to make yourselves seem clever & important. You're not.
I thought that it was fantastic and very funny. Odd to get so much hate from the left as they have been using hollywood for political purposes for a very long time....They will cry foul over this, but no one will believe them...It will just be another leftist lie....Hollywood cant even threaten Eastwoods career and blacklist him...I am sure that they would like to though...
I don't think anybody from the left hated it. All of us 'lefties' were happy to see this at the RNC. I am just so thankful it wasn't at the DNC...now that we would have hated!
It was a HOOT!!!
Their own medicine goes down really hard for the lefties. I was glad to see it.
"I don't think anybody from the left hated it" has to be the biggest joke of the week. All you have to do is read the comments everytime the name Clint Eastwood comes up. Biggest and most coordinated attack since Sara Palin.
The "lefties" enjoyed seeing the RNC's biggest night turned into a side show. Eastwood's crusty ole white man rambling said a lot about the party and distracted all attention away from Mitt. No one even cares what he said- the story from the RNC is that Eastwood looked like someone's crazy old uncle who was off his meds and talking to an empty chair.
Diane-486994
So we have 472 comments here from no one who even cares what he said. I have always said that liberals are completely out of touch with reality. Just one more example.
Yep, nanna but you will have Michael Moore..........................................at least in attendance........but I bet he get interviewed.
Has Mitt Romney been Set Up to LOSE by the GOP?
http://Bruce-1628250.newsvine.com/_news/2012/09/01/13610205-romney-set-up-to-lose
Based on the RNC, yes.
1. Most of the speakers barely mentioned Mitt.
2. Eastwood and his empty chair
The empty chair is representative of the empty suit that sits in the Oval Office now.
I heard Clint got a twitter from someone in the WH...it is thought that King Obama sent it himself ....a picture of him sitting in the Presidental chair in the oval office...I guess he does have thin skin....but...what else would you expect from a community aggatiator..the only thing missing from the empty chair was the teleprompter....
Romney/Ryan 2012
The tweet was funny!! So's the photo of Obama sitting alone with an empty chair nearby calling it a visit with Clint Eastwood.
Funnier: Clint's slam on lawyer's becoming politicians - guess who has a law degree even though he wasn't at the top of his class as Obama was?
Funniest: Ann Romney's face while Eastwood, a social liberal, BTW, droned on and on instead of introducing her husband as he should have done.
I hate to muddle fiction with facts; however,
Oh - and number of unemployed people? Check it out at the Department of Labor's website, 12.8 million at the end of July, not 23 million.
ACA? It was approved by all three branches of government in 2010. It was upheld by the Supreme Court. Our system of checks and balances among the three branches of government worked for centuries. It may not be perfect but it's what we have.
Famed Republican Ronald Reagan quote: "We're going to close the unproductive tax loopholes that allow some of the truly wealthy to avoid paying their fair share. In theory some of those loophole were understandable, but in practice, they sometimes made it possible for millionaires to pay nothing."
Number of jobs when Bush took office: 132,466,000
Number of jobs in Bush's 41st month in office (June 2004): 131,442,000
Jobs lost: 1,024,000; Percentage decrease: 0.8%
Number of jobs when Obama took office: 133,561,000
Number of jobs now (Obama's 41st month in office): 133,088,000
Jobs lost: 473,000; Percentage decrease: 0.4%
Afghanistan War? I know I am just a little old southern Nanna but I could have sworn the U.S. had 10,000 troops in Afghanistan in August, 2009.
Oh my, I could go on and on, but I'm just too old and tired.
That should have been August, 2003 (the Afghanistan War comment)...
Way to pick and choose the time frame for you numbers. Bush inherited a recession from Clinton and Bush's worst job loss came under a democrat controlled congress
Rick, actually you're wrong. Unemployment rate was 7.5% when Clinton took office... When he left in 1999, it had dropped to 4.2%, lowest since 1969. It had risen to 7.3% when Obama took office.
Nanna - apparently you have no idea what you are talking about. The dot-com boom went flat starting in 2000 ultimately putting hundreds of thousands out of work. After Bush's second tax cut unemployment went down to 4.6% in 2004 and did not go up to 7% until after the democrats took over the congress.
Do you think a Repub Congress might have something to do with why the unemployment rate has not risen quicker over the last 3 1/2 years?
I begrudgedly will give you this.... There are circumstances that affect the presidency beyond the president's control..such as an opposing Congress. The opposing Congress, according to S&P, is the reason the U.S. credit score dropped.
But don't think it's okay to blame all of Bush's problems on a Democratic Congress and not blame the problems Obama has faced on a Republican Congress.
Chances of Romney getting elected: Slim to none.
Chances of Clint Eastwood influencing me to vote for Romney: EVEN LESS.
Instead of having balloons fall from the ceiling at the DNC....maybe they could drop condoms....Sandra Fluke..or Flute...or F...k..whatever her name is...could have a supply until she finishes college....lol...
Romney/Ryan 2012
Obama...the end of an error...
You're right... They might should have done that at the RNC while Eastwood was talking with the chair. Even in his old age, it might be good for him to know that there is a way to prevent having more children other than finding an abortionist for your girlfriend.
Sorry Dixie - Eastwood supports a woman's right to choose. He also has 7 kids with 5 different women, thinks same sex marriage is no concern of the GOP (GQ magazine, October issue), and unlike the unlikable Patricia Heaton who piled on the insults to Ms Fluke when Rush did (boy, did she have to back down in a HURRY!), Clint isn't judgemental.
I'm not saying I'm not a fan of Clint Eastwood...just saying Romney et. al. made a poor choice in who they wanted to speak at the convention...not because of the performance but because his beliefs are way too far left for a Mormon Republican.
dixie girl: Hey genius! That line surely worked for your hero, Rush Limbaugh. Seems to me he even apologized, but she wouldn't accept the pig's apology. Geeeezzzzzzz. Did you even graduate from high school?
Jamie-3757870
#159.2
That just goes to prove that the Newsvine liberals don't really care what a person believes as long as that person is not in complete lockstep with the lefty loosers of the democrat party then they intend to attack that person until they shut him up completely.
That is what you can look forward to if you continue to vote these leftists into office. Sort of like other dictatorsips over the world. Seems like we take a step backward every time we take what these people call a "progressive" step.
Rick: I am perfectly willing to debate Progressivism or Social Darwinism with you any time you want. I'm also willing to go after your Jerry Springer Show mentality of politics and economics should you want to do that. Let me know your pleasure.
TJefferson-1649275
Go ahead and take your best shot any time you are ready. You won't be the first lying leftie who made a challenge and disappeared.
Looks like the same folks who vetted Palin for McCain picked the GOP mystery guest.
Clint was supposed to give a 3-minute intro of Romney. What he actually did was give Ann Romney an 11-minute headache. Did you see her face?!? OMG! Priceless!
The GOP forgot that Clint may be a fiscal conservative but he's a social liberal; he's in favor of allowing gays to marry and supports a woman's right to choose. He understands that people have a hand in climate change.
They also forgot Karl Rove's hissy-fit about Clint's narrating Chrysler's "Halftime in America" ad aired at the Super Bowl this year.
Mitt likes Clint's performance because it took attention away from his own speech. You know, the one where he forgot to mention our men and women in uniform? Not so much as a thank you - when he was one of those who supported the war in Afghanistan.
I think there is a conspiracy that has managed to implant a Democratic spy as part of Romney's advisors.
For those of you that really think Clint's speech will hurt Romney, go back and remember what Rev Wright's antic's did to hurt Obama. Most peoples minds are already made up. Stunts like that are only good for those that are stupid enough to think it will sway voters.