Tampa, Florida (CNN) - Actor and director Clint Eastwood made the day of the GOP faithful at the Republican National Convention when he gave a surprise speech Thursday night in which he laid out what he sees as the good, the bad and the ugly state of American political affairs.
And he did it all while addressing an "invisible" President Barack Obama sitting in an empty chair. Eastwood, who played the iconic tough guy character "Dirty Harry" during his long career in Hollywood, fired up the party base when he said he cried when Obama was elected and cried even harder years later when millions were out of work.
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great man–kudos to him for supporting Romney–he never shows his face in public anymore..he must have felt strongly about this–great comic relief for the crowd from a much-loved icon...
I've always liked clint Eastwood,but boy..............
That was the most akward and difficult slow motion train wreck on live TV I've ever seen.
It was like watching Micheal Jordan get blocked or miss a dunk. Like Nolan Ryan being taken upper deck.
I know what he was trying to do,but it went from slightly funny to just cringing in my chair waiting for the act to end.
It was a bad attempt at comedy i would expect of Dennis Miller in his time on Monday Football. Wrong setting and just bad timing.
A crying actor! What will these republican movie directors think of next?
Does Clint get paid by the tear, or by the second?
>>>Clint, I don't want to see your tax returns. But I do want to see your master's, Bishop Romney's tax returns.
Can you cry about that, wimp?
This is one of the most worst Conventions I have seen in my lifetime. You may disagree with Obama but there should be respect for the presidency. Eastwood, and the GOP, crossed the line. I know who I will vote for now. I truely believe the GOP is race baiting and it disgusts me. After listening to Romney (what a mediorce speech vs Ryan), I feel that the GOP missed a golden opportunity to appeal to independent likes me. It seems Romney's only hope is to buy the election. No new ideas, just rhetoric against Obama. What an awful Convention, symbolized by Eastwood and his psychotic rant.. Iam disgusted by Romney and GOP. They are no alternative, They are worse.
Truly amazing actor, perfect, always
Maybe Hollywood and the press will finally get over him. He hasn't been able to act in years and tonight he proved it.
The bad delivery of confusing remarks was ridiculous.
Clint shouldn't ruin his reputation hanging out with the likes of romney the tax cheat and atkins Ryan BACHMANN the scam artist lier , would you trust the Gop with your soc sec and your mothers Medicare???? Not!!!!
I was listening on the radio with my kid , she asked why he was stuttering and if he was drunk.
First of all Clint , Obama didn't start the war in Afghanistan, and any body with any brains would know Romney wouldn't just bing our people home tomorrow if elected. And as for Attorneys , Romney has many .
You have come a long way from Raw Hide Clint , as a director an actor and Golfer . As for political historian you and Newt have your facts wrong .
Dirty Harry will never be the same.
Actually,the empty chair was romney with no facts and no tax returns and the Gop bafoon party empty agenda going backwards instead of forward ,vote Gop if you want to go back to the horse and buggy days ,losers !!!!
Clint made a joke out of Romney big empty speech, no substance just vote for me. I hate to see a rich man cry with millions stashed in the Cayman Island.
God Clint was great, the last of a true American Hero. Dirty Harry took it to the criminal Obama good. You could almost hear him say go ahead make my day =)
Clint Eastwood made a complete fool of himself and the gop party. When he look back at that speech maybe he will relize that he has lost his fricking mind. I kind of felt sorry for the old fart.
Right turn, clyde!
Yes, my favorite Actor, but remember, Obama stepped into this economic mess, he didn't make it, and with businesses sending their jobs overseas leave us with unemployment.
I really wished he'd said:
In all the confusion of the last 3+ years I've lost count of broken election promises was it 5 or 6? Barack I guess you have to ask yourself – Do you fell lucky punk?"
It was great to see someone who just says what he thinks and is 100% right – these folks work for us – we are the bosses not the ohter way around.
Poor clint he is really losing it. Did he think the chair (representing whomever) was going to listen to his dribble?
Back to the old folk's home. I know you have money so social security, medicaid and medicare are not a problem for you.
I believe it's time for Clint to retire. He wasn't funny, insperational, truthful or entertaining, but of course the GOP loved his little performance because it was a Hollywood type bashing Obama. Now the conservatives will say, "see even Hollywood is turning their back on Obama". When in reality, it's just ONE old old man.
It can be seen in two ways. One was is that Eastwood sees Obama as not being really there. The other way is that Eastwood is really losing it and was halucinating.
No one is watching these idiots on screen any more. Even in a nation that produces more movies, India is like that. No one is caring these movies guys. True. Obama12. Period. American middle Class12.
I would like to see the Democratic Convention use "John Stewart like" comedy to EXPOSE the lies that Ryan / Romney told DURING their convention and which they plan to continue to tell.
Use Chris Christie`s "We will tell you the hard truth", to set up the use of videotaped comments & a smattering of Perot-like charts & statistcs [like 29-months of job growth, 80% rise in the stock market, etc.] to point out the lies early before thinking independent voters give any credence to them.
Use Gingrich`s indictment of Romney as a "LIAR" at full strength so that it is a Republican who says it, instead of a Democrat. Use Akin`s & Ryan`s words & his budget to reveal to women & seniors the lies they are telling. Show how Romney took taxpayer money at Bain to enrich himself by saddling the US Pension Guarranty Corp with liabilities.
A team of comedy writers [Bill Maher`s ?] should get to work on this right away and the tone should dovetail with a more serious, detailed roadmap from President Obama in his speech.
Do this and Romney will have no credibility with voters. Americans don`t trust Mitt Romney. Reveal his lies EARLY to the huge number of undecided voters that will be watching the convention. It`ll be far more effective than a 1970s `tough guy` going off the rails.
>>>Clint, just watched you speech.
If your friends won't tell you are are becoming senile, fire them.
As for a businessman as POTUS, that might work as long as they are not Republican. Being that you are old you might recall the last one, Herbert Hoover. Being senile, you might have forgotten, it was really bad, something called the great depression.
Go the Reagan route, get a monkey as a co-star, and redo "Bedtime for Bonzo". As WC Fields put it, the animal will steal the show, so forgetting your lines will be ok.
I thought it to be a very unusual speech, awkward at best. he should have kept to the theme and made a short and direct comment type speech. stay in hollywood clint, your political career sucks.
Most of this man's bearings have fallen down completely, and those which are remaining seem to be loose.
So it's official: the GOP is now the party of white old angry men and... Senile!!! Mr. Eastwood yelling at an empty chair reminds me of my old great grandmother yelling at the invisible man wetting her bed sheets to frame her!
What a disgrace for his legacy he could have been better off if heas dead one day earlier.