Clint Eastwood returns, stars in new super PAC ad
Washington (CNN) - Actor Clint Eastwood is returning to the political stage, but this time he is talking directly to the camera - and not to an empty chair.
Eastwood received much derision as well as praise for his speech at the Republican Convention this summer in Tampa where he lectured to an empty chair that was meant to represent President Obama.
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Now Eastwood is the star of a new ad, called "At Stake" from the Republican super PAC American Crossroads.
For much of the spot Eastwood's voice is just heard telling the audience: "For the last few years America has been knocked down. Twenty three million people can't find full-time work," he says. "Obama's second term would be a rerun of the first, and our country just couldn't survive that. We need someone who can turn it around fast. That man is Mitt Romney."
Then Eastwood is seen talking directly to the camera as it ends saying, "There is not much time left, and the future of our country is at stake."
The commercial was taped at Eastwood's home in California, according to American Crossroads spokesman Jonathan Collegio. While Eastwood's speech was met with a lot of negative press stories, Crossroads officials think his message of how Obama has failed resonated. Crossroads President Steven Law was at the convention and thought Eastwood's words were powerful and that he connected with the crowd, Collegio said. Group officials were introduced to him, and he agreed to tape the ad.
Crossroads thinks this goes beyond a stock celebrity endorsement because, as Collegio put it, "this is Clint adding his iconic weight to a message about the country that already resonates with people and which they already believe in their hearts."
The group showed the ad to focus groups in Florida and Ohio, and "it tested off the charts," Collegio says.
The Eastwood spot is one of three new ones launching Wednesday as part of a $12.6 million buy in seven key swing states: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio and Virginia.
One entitled "Survive" about small business owners will air in Colorado, Iowa, Ohio and Virginia Survive and one called "Bow" which hits Obama's record on China is set to air in Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio and Virginia.
Mitt Romney is getting substantial air cover this week. With this new buy, American Crossroads will be spending at least $17 million on swing state ads. On Tuesday it went up with a $4.2 million buy just in Wisconsin and Ohio highlighting the story of a young boy battling cancer in the 1970's who Mitt Romney helped. Another super PAC supporting the Republican presidential nominee, Restore Our Future, announced it was going up with almost $18 million in swing state ads on Tuesday in battleground states.
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ATLJack- And we're still waiting for Obama's past history that he spent millions to seal and hide away. Romney hid nothing and he did pay his taxes or Obama would have already had the IRS on his case months ago.
Poor, poor Mr. Eastwood, you are no longer the movie star. You are now being used by the GOP to be a lying star in the eyes of the honest Americans.
Time to ride off into the sunset cowboy. So sad when our idols get old and their minds start to go.
Hey Truth hurts,just think if you didn't cheat during the elections in 2000,2008 so Bush could get in we wouldn't have Pres.Obama busting his hump to get us out of this mess,right idiot!!You voted for him twice didn't yah meathead and your ignorent followers as well thinking if you turn the country over to this Mormon moron everything will be peachy keen,you're pathedic as well as delushional..But you know its historic how you vote for failures in presidents from Hoover to the Bushs,all republicans that left problems for Democrates to fix and you'd think you'd pick a better candidate but desperate people are known to do desperate things,right TRUTH!!
Just another bitter, old, white male Republican wanting to return to the 1940's
Clint, GET OFF MY LAWN!
Cedar Rapids- You might try reading and researching a little. Carter put the plan into effect and Clinton embellished it. Bush went before Congress seven times to get restraints put on the program. John McCain and Chuck Hegal put a bill before Congress to rein in the bad loans..filibuster threats from Dodd and Franks killed it...
Clint East Wood doesn't appeal to young white America. His time passed by 20 years ago. Obama is on MTV, Leno, Letterman, the view and etc at a time where old school America seem to think those shows are beneath the POTUS. Obama will get the presidency base on open minded principals of young white voters.
Clint, you've really dropped off the deep end. Romney? He doesn't even know which side of the toilet paper to use so he has to ask his mother each and every time.
BTW, who's lying to you or does someone have something 'on' you that they're using as blackmail. Maybe you're becoming senile. Yeah, that's it. Better to pack it in now than continuing to make a fool of yourself.
So very sad!
And why is Clint relevant anyway?
Would Massachusetts ever vote Mitt Romney back into office? The answer should help with your decision.
Clint lost any credibility at the convention. I don't think that his scare tactic commercials are going to convince anyone of anything, but it is funny to see what a puppet he has become!
I will take Clint's word anyday over some of the rappers who support Obama. Grabbing your crotch and calling women names sure does underscore the lunacy of women supporting Obama.
With all due respect Mr. Eastwood, Who got us here in the last 12 years? The President walked in on a mess that took 12 years and he is suppose to clean it up in 4? May be you do a movie showing how to do it.
Clint, go sit in that chair you had on stage, just put some rockers on the botton of it. After making a fool out of romney no one is listening to you any more and they havent for years.
This is what CNN considers important: an old man with dementa who doesn't have to worry about the fact that Mittens and Ryan would destroy Medicaid by cutting $1.7T from it via their block grant plan to let red states try to force minorities to move to blue states by manipulating the assistance program.
Kaiser FAmily Foundation, one of th esingle most important, non-partisan research contributors to the health care industry, just released a study finding that:
"“The proposed changes and reductions in federal financing for Medicaid under the House Budget Plan would almost certainly worsen the problem of the uninsured and strain the nation’s safety net. Medicaid’s ability to continue these many roles in the health care system would be significantly compromised under this proposal, with no obvious alternative to take its place.”
But that's ok...clearly, an angry old conservative grumbling in a television ad paid for by giant corporations who don't want you to know who they are has far more "newsiness" to it than an objective study regarding Mittens and Ryan's health care proposals.
to all the folks in this great country who revise history. Where would this country be if Obama was not successful in stopping
the 750,000 monthly job losses when he took office? Would there be a country to really speak of? Folks, we were on our way to the great depression! Its nothing short of a miracle that they were able to stop the bleeding leave alone create an additional 5 million jobs!
What is the interesting is this Super PAC thinking they know what Americans want. What a bunch of IDIOTS including Clint. Love your movies. But please stay out of politics. You DO NOT influence anyone with half a brain.
This guy is just about as out of touch as Reagan was.
A great actor and director, it's a shame he had to sink to this level. I doubt if he will influence many voters at this stage of the election especially after his performance at the convention.
How come mitts crowds are always all white while Obamas are all shades representing this great rainbow nation? Answer that Clinthood.
is he still talking to empty chairs, or did his handlers get that resolved?
We're ok when michael Moore and others in the enterment world lecture us about how the economy works, but not when an entertainer spreads the republican word. (there are far more , "entertainers" Extolling the virtues of the democratic party than those that advocate the republican party)
@Ancient Texan
How do you know Mitt payed his taxes? If he won't release them he must hiding something. The President has no control over the IRS as to who they should go after, that would be illegal, something only a repubican president would do.
It seems like Clint Eastwood is trying one more time to make his day.