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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Too late, Clint. I've already voted for the chair. You were so convincing in Tampa that there was no way Romney/Ryan would get my vote.
Clint, you're no longer good. Just bad and very ugly. And stupid.
Thank you Clint Eastwood for continuing to stand up to America despite the harrassment you recieve from liberals. I wish liberals were more tolerant of other people's opinion. I mean, read these comments that have been posted. Just because someone doesn't agree with you makes him "senile"? I am 25 years old, and I love this add and I hope Romney is elected. I am so tired of what has happened the last four years. We need a change just like we did in 2008, right?
It's a shame, a real shame, that it has come to this, Mr. Eastwood.
sylvia, stop revising history and regurgitating faux news! These companies were completely out of cash and no private bank wanted to give them a penny! Would you have loaned them operating capital? There was no private funds to loan them!
Obama is the ghost of xmas past.. Nothing new with Obama folks, move along!
Clint's daughter is voting for Obama.
Clint who? Thought this old crone died a long time ago. No one under 30 knows who this clown is anyways. Time to put the guns down now Clint. If this is the best the Republicans can come up with they are done. The people who would remember this guy are all old, confused and in Nursing homes and won't vote anyways.
Please Clint, call Debbie Boone for a face and neck lift.
@HJA....Your guy in the WH said it would be done in his first term..."one term proposition" I believe were his exact words. Still stand by your "idiot" remark??
Look at Romney poll numbers in Ma. He stunck... fees on everything doubled
@Woman in California...Now you've crushed me.....say you're sorry. LOLer
Clint needs to stick to scripted three-word phrases.
Eastwood is not an educated man by any means. What , if anything, makes his opinion matter? His money? His tough guy persona? That hat he wears in the old movies? What?
Many people are incapable of thinking for themselves and are as easily controlled as a well trained Labrador Retreiver. That's what spots like this are for....to tell the ignorant sheep of the world what they shoudl think...god bless them.
Mr. Eastwood was speaking with an empty chair on Monday at the debate because Mr. Romney couldn't do anything but agree with our President. Please Mr. Eastwood go back to your rocking chair and stay off my tv screen.
"Hitman
Obama is the ghost of xmas past.. Nothing new with Obama folks, move along!"
And Clint? He's just a ghost.
What does clint know about governance to make any assessment to go by? All of a sudden clint is a guru. Can someone tell him he does better at pre-determined shots in western movies. I wonder if Kim Kardashian is next with an ad for romney......lol
How can my fellow Democrats foolishly continue to defend the Obama Experiment? It's obvious that Obama had been groomed and financially supported for many, many years. It's also obvious that the Obama Experiment has been a complete failure.
Now Obama has blood on his hands and by the same token, so do his groomers, and by extension; the Democratic party and it's leadership.
Democrats, PLEASE stop the Obama Experiment before it's too late for America and its citizens.
America CAN NOT continue heading for the impending cliff. Again, Democrats, STOP the Obama Experiment before it's too late!!!
Hey, Clint... way to pimp for Karl Rove's Super PAC. Keep it classy.
HA HAhahahahahaaaaa!!!! Didn't he provide enough entertainment and ridicule for himself and Romneycrud already? They'd get a more credible spokesperson if they hired Paris Hilton. At least she actually has a brain, as much as she tries to present a persona to the contrary.
How come this article is "trending" @ 279 comments and the article about the Senator re-affirming the GOP's stance on abortion in cases of rape and incest isn't and it has 2789 comments
I appreciate Mr. Eastwood speaking up. I really do as I happen to wholeheartedly agree with his statement we need to let Obama go as he has failed to perform his duties and we need to replace him with Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan whom we hope can perform theri duties as President and Vice President. Obama had four years to illustrate he was up to the challenge and he failed. nothing personal. You did not pan out so we need to try someone else and fortunatley, Romney is awfully sharp so he should work out.
Rowdey Yates....You are making those libs experience "Rawhide"!!!
It's laughable those who say Clint may be good at movies but knows nothing about how the country works. WELCOME TO MY WORLD – for years I've had to listen to the Streisand's and Springsteen's and Spielberg's ram their views down my throat directly and indirectly through their films, at the Academy Awards, concerts, etc.. Clint is refreshing and very welcome after years of liberal blabbling.
Notice the big silence from the usual crowd that always complains and whines when someone from Hollywood backs the President.