Political conventions occasionally produce memorable moments that endure. The Chicago riots in 1968, Cuomo's "Tale of Two Cities" speech in 1984, Al kissing Tipper in 2000, Obama's "audacity of hope" in 2004 -- these are memories that quickly entered the political history books, reminding us why conventions still matter.
Last night, we saw another such moment, when Clint Eastwood decided to argue with an empty chair.
Chances are you've at least heard about Eastwood's "speech," but for those who missed it, trust me when I tell you it's worth your time. As Rachel explained on the air once it was over, "That was the weirdest thing I've ever seen at a political convention in my entire life, and it will be the weirdest thing I've ever seen if I live to be 100."
Apparently, the Romney campaign thought it would be a good idea to send an 82-year-old man onto the stage without prepared remarks. Eastwood was an odd choice anyway -- he's pro-choice and supports gay rights -- but I can appreciate the fact that the man enjoys an iconic status. He was the "surprise" guest, and convention organizers scrapped a compelling Romney bio film, just so Americans could see the Hollywood star's remarks.
Oops.
Jamelle Bouie, in arguably my favorite line of the convention, said, "This is a perfect representation of the campaign: an old white man arguing with an imaginary Barack Obama."
And even if we look past the bizarre chair shtick and the rambling remarks, the points Eastwood tried to make were a mess. The actor wants to withdraw quickly from Afghanistan, which is the opposite of Romney's position. Eastwood thinks it's a bad idea "for attorneys to be president," overlooking the fact that Romney has a law degree. He even felt comfortable mocking Joe Biden's speeches, even while delivering a meandering, cringe-inducing speech of his own.
But what helped make this a truly epic convention moment was the realization among Republicans that they'd made a horrible mistake. Paul Ryan was shown on camera looking deeply uncomfortable; Romney aides were overcome with a sense of dread; and it only took a few minutes for the campaign to start telling reporters that they weren't responsible for this train wreck.
A month from now, no one will remember a word from Romney's speech, but a decade from now, we'll still be talking about the time a confused Clint Eastwood had a debate with an empty chair, and lost.
Leave a Comment:
(Addressing an empty chair next to me:)
Mr. Eastwood, I love you too much to hold this against you. I'm going to pretend last night never happened.
that shyt was funny as hell.
.
It is sad when you see such an amazingly talented, intelligent man lose it in a mindless behavior. Someone close to him and who truly cares for and loves him needs to set him down and let him know it is time to retire in dignity.
What has happened to him has also happened to the GOP. They both suffer from
the same Alzheimer, where one cannot think or react in an civilized and appropriate
matter to the stimulus around them. Sadly what Mister Eastwood showed us last night is the sickness many Republicans are suffering from?
While watching Clint's primetime train wreck, I was reminded of an incident from my High School years. It was during the student council debates assembly where one guy, running unopposed, debated a chair. When the votes were eventually counted the chair won by a landslide due to write in ballots.
As scary as Eastwood's segment was, along with with Ryan's lie filled speech, the right wing-nut rhetoric from some others and Romney's virtually substantive free oratory is the fact that these clowns are actually icthing for another war either with Iran or in Mitt's case Russia!
Typical Republican plan: Coerce the individual to give them a helping hand in an attempt to maximize on the individual's good works; ignore their own responsibility for thoughtful, organized, effective leadership; deny any responsibility when things go awry; and then turn their backs while the vultures swoop in to pick at the bones.
I think Clint was making a fraudian slip when he asked Obama " What Oh I can't say that to Mr Romney he can't do that to himself" Seems since it was actually Clint saying %&#%yourself Mr Romney. So many things he said in this speech can really be said about Mitt
Word on a tweet to Keith Olbermann was that @limbaugh would be claiming Eastwood is a secret Hollywood liberal who went in there to screw things up....
Olbermann added if that were the case, the Humbaugh® might be right.
Allen - "fraudian slip" - was that an intentional pun, or your own "slip"? Either way, well done!
Vulture/Voucher 2012
Proving Two Rights DO Make a Wrong!
;-)
"And no one heard at all, not even the chair"
I couldn't watch the whole thing, it was just sad. Was he perhaps trying to be funny? It sounded unscripted, just rambling.
To imply "F-U" multiple times in a speech at a political party's national convention to nominate the next president of the United States was not only inappropriate, but also served to denigrate the political party, the stature of the office of the president, and the nation.
In an effort to garner votes, we have now descended into the depths of a lowly brand of humor played out before a generation of the country's young people for whom we should be setting an example, and confirmed the long-held suspicions of a worldwide audience who increasingly perceives Americans as lacking any modicum of dignity and class. Shame on Clint. Shame on the RNC. Shame on America.
And then Mitt himself comes on with a speech where he talks about unity, blah blah blah...but allows this kind of disrespect to Obama and the Office of the President by everyone around him. Doesn't speak well of Mitt and his leadership skills. Then again, he didn't believe the unity stuff himself; it was just what they wrote for him to say.
Oops.
Do the republican voters have any idea of what's real? Clint Eastwood around the 5 minute mark says President Obama decided to go into Afghanistan and wondered if he consulted the Russians to see how that went for them. This received a huge cheer from the crowd. It's undeniable that President Obama ramped up Afghanistan after the diversion of Iraq got us off track but both wars were started by President Bush and the republicans. The speeches were filled with lie and distortion, one after another and the crowd cheered. The saddest part is how many really believe the lies and refuse to believe anything that fact checks em. Sad..
Do the republican voters have any idea of what's real?
No.
Clint was trying to be funny. It was a skit. The problem was we instinctively assumed it was senility.
He just isn't Betty White. A "jewel" who recently stated she has never endorsed a president, but did for President Obama...
I agree he was trying to do a skit. Problem is comedy is not easy. Betty White could pull something like off because she is a great comedic actor. To quote Dirty Harry: A man most know his limitations.
They should had stuck with Dennis Miller? He could had done that same skit and got away with it.
Did the GOP not see the last few New Years' Rockin' Eve with Dick Clark?
Maybe it would have worked better with a scarecrow in the chair. You know. have a straw man argument.
http://thehill.com/blogs/twitter-room/other-news/246875-obama-tweets-chair-this-seats-taken
I sent the right message but incorrect link re President Obama's tweet in response to Clint Eastwood: "This seat's taken." Right on! FOllow the link (for real this time). :-)
I have been a fan of clint's movies he was always for the underdog. Well Mr. Eastwood youhave made millions off your movies and you are entitiled to your views, but the reality is that the President cannot hire anyone. the wealthy in this country have received taxs breaks for the last eleven almost twelve years but they have not invested the untold millions in profit in jobs for Americans. As a matter of fact they have outsourced those jobs to foreign countries so they could make more profits. Everytime this President has tried to get things done the GOP side of the US Congress and state Congress have refused to work with him to make things better for Americans I am tired of the lies and failures on the part of the GOP to work with Democrats and Independants to get our country back on track economically. I am tired of lies about what this President has not done. You have made our government less than what it should be. If many of you in the GOP think we should have less government then do us a favor and quit.
Couldn't agree more!
I didn't have the sound on, was waiting for the cossack charge, so I missed the whole thing. Reading various blogs about it and the soundbites must be as disjointed as the whole thing.
The salient point of this is the Taliban can't walk away from this and say Clint went postal. That chair was put out there by someone who approved it. Trying to look at him as a crotchedly oldman and again not having seen the whole thing the eff u to the President was actually to the party.
Come on folks,
After the Right Wing busted Clints balls for the Chrysler commercial Clint was just getting even.
Fodder for the Dems ... I can hear Harry saying 'Listen to those dumb asses cheering an old mans ramblings and 20 million unemployed, those Bastards don't deserve to be in power'.
So this where all of you sick/weak minded people go to expel your bile. Of course, I'd try to hide also, if I was one of the people who elects the liberals who are hell-bent on destroying everything on which this country was founded.
About 50 words and yet you say nothing.
Nothing new there.
This country was founded by men who DID NOT want any person to be able to force their religious ideas on the rest of the people. They DID NOT want any person to be able to BUY their way into the seat of the President.
Who has gotten away from the foundations of the country? REPUBLICANS!!!
You didn't even Godwin the thread. Terrible trolling. Son I am disappoint.
Loved every second. Obama has failed miserably. Unemployment over 8.3%, Food Stamp use to record levels, College grads can't get good jobs, falling student test scores in math and science, more people getting a government check, less people paying taxes, etc. The liberal agenda has failed. Time for a successful business man to clean up the mess and get the private sector moving again.
The last businessman who became president was Herbert Hoover.
Food stamp use actually hasn't changed that much. When you hear the figure nearly half of Americans are on welfare that figure is including everything from the Veteran's Administration, the GI Bill, student loans, to Medicare and Social Security. This was the complaint registered when Newt Gingrich called President Obama the food stamp president. There isn't factual merit to this claim, but there is certainly a racial undertone.
I do not recall an evaluation of test scores starting in 2009 and concluding that in 2012 they had fell and it was in relation to failed liberal policies. Since I'm not even sure what measures Obama has taken with regards to schools aside from some increased aid (and we're talking about K-12 here, not college level- and no this is not to say he hasn't done anything, it's to say I don't recall it being talked about). The lowering standards in education have been occurring for decades now and the idea that you can put this at the foot of Obama is very ludicrous.
I'm not sure what you mean by more people getting a government check. We've had massive layoffs in the public sector with increased employment in the private sector. Perhaps this goes back into your false welfare claim?
As for less people paying taxes that is because less people are employed. College graduates cannot find jobs because of the employer's market phenomenon. If employers were desperate to hire they would hire anyone looking for a job. Since there are more people looking for jobs than there are jobs available that means employers get to be choosey. The Republican Party platform has openly stated that it would like to keep things based on an employers market. I am not at all sure how you think a Republican going into office would make this situation better.
cartoonthenews! . . . You make many good points. They'll all be lost on people like Kim who spout the talking points without really understanding the issues.
Actually, the last one was Hoover reincarnated (GWB).
Vulture/Voucher 2012
Proving Two Rights DO Make a Wrong!
;-)
Disgraceful
Sorry this is so sad to see poor Clint Eastwood talking to empty chairs and he believes that was Obama...If it were Charleton Heston I bet it would have been Jesus Christ himself. Very sad but not out of the realm possibility ..lost his grip on reality. everyone over looks the 8 years of moron ...2 failed wars he started , a Hurricane that was so poor it was extremely poor....9/11,,takes break for the rich! provoking them to bring it and they sure as hell did.
taxes breaks for the wealthiest people is not a way to get this
country moving forward!
Clint Eastwood appears to have dementia. How sad to have him taken advantage of in this way at the RNC debacle!
I thought Clint was the perfect expression of the tired, old, old, old ideas of the
Republican party.
Painful is right - very painful to watch. I guess its a lot easier when you have just your lines to read. He's a great actor and director but I don't like his politics.
Well, that was profoundly depressing. I never agreed with Eastwood's politics, but at least I respected his other achievements. Is this all that's left of him?
Obviously, the convention crowd was primed to wildly applaud anything Eastwood said. But-- wow.
I remember doing that old "interviewing a chair" gag when I was in high school. At least I managed to get a few chuckles out of my buddies. But it works a lot better as a party game than it does as a stump speech.
Jamelle Bouie's comment is, indeed, very profound. The whole Republican campaign this year-- not just Romney's, but going back to the beginning of the primary races, and including the down-ballot contests-- can be summed up as "an old white man arguing with an imaginary Barack Obama."