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.
- Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
- Follow Kevin Bohn on Twitter: @KevinBohnCNN.
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.
- Check out the CNN Electoral Map and Calculator and game out your own strategy for November.
Also on the CNN Political Ticker
- GOP Senate candidate accuses Dems of distorting his rape comments
- Clint Eastwood returns, stars in new super PAC ad
- Obama ad uses ghost of recount past
From CNN Politics
- Untitled
- 10 Cards Charging 0% Interest Until 2024
- Watchdog says federal government gave $5.4 billion in Covid aid to small businesses with 'questionable' Social Security numbers
- GOP leaders work to lock down votes to remove Omar from Foreign Affairs Committee
- These benefits will disappear when Biden ends the Covid national and public health emergencies in May
- Santos tells conference he wants off of his committees until issues are resolved
That's all well and fine Mr. Eastwood. In all honesty though, your ad doesn't make me want to vote for Romney any more than Mr. Jackson's video makes me want to vote for Obama. I respect their opinions, but at the end of the day, neither men have to deal with the day to day struggles that so many middle class Americans have to deal with.
Ancient Texan sounds about half senile, half limbaughish. All he has to say is that he hates, hates, hates people who don't admire his simplistic worldview. But hey, he's from Texas, so what do you expect? They aren't famous for quick thinking or being able to see the other guy's side, and they are still arguing cattle vs sheep.
All the libtards in here talking about a "recovery" is quite amusing! 1.2% yearly GDP growth isn't a "recovery"!! It is slipping firther and furhter BEHIND as the economy doesn't even create enough jobs to account for population growth. EVEN OF THE LIES!!! There is NO RECOVERY!
Cheyney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Eastwood, all wanting a return to George W. Bush 8 years of war and deregulation of Wall Street. Wake up old guys, the world has passed you by and are not buying Romney's throw back pitch. He has little credibility and is not trust worthy. Please send Clint over to Iraq to look for WMD and the limbs and bodies of our fallen service women and men.
I am tired of Obama citing that he "inherited" a bad economy. We...the People of the USA...hired you (Obama) to fix things. So are we led to believe that the only way you wanted the job of POTUS was IF the economy was in good shape? Sorry that it was damaged more than you thought but you've had 4 years to mend the problems in this country and you've failed. Put your spikes back on because you'll have a lot more time to spend on the golf course.
I will never buy a movie from this guy !
From an iconic actor to a complete tool of corporate interest ... how sad 🙁
Great he is going to yell at more furniture!
GOPs desperation for celebrity endorsement is as clear as day.
Ancient Texan
Clint, like a huge portion of Americans, doesn't like Socialism or Radical Narcissisitic anti-business, glory seekers.
October 24, 2012 12:11 pm at 12:11 pm
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Yes, he prefers narcissistic out-of-touch billionaires and pathological liars. And once upon a time America loved those people too, in the screwball comedies of the 1930's. That doesn't mean we're stupid enough to let them run the country now! At least I sure hope not...
Iconic actor and great director and now a superb supporter of a flip-flopping liar with no integrity. Just how far is he willing to go to perpetuate the wrong message and lead this country down the path of continued failed polices of the past? Please wake up and realize that this country has been done a severe wrong during the eight years of the Bush administration that will take decades to turn around. We are making inroads now. Let's move forward instead of backward.
Woman in California....Clint is crushed by your attitude......say you're sorry. LOL
The irony is that he did a commercial for Chrysler not much less than a year ago, a company that would not still exist if not for the man he's talking against.
ghostriter, look up a little thing called the "Community Reinvestent Act" and see which president signed it. Also look to see who repealed the Class Steigel Act. I'll give you a hint. Slick Willy. Just because it happened under the Bush Presidency, doesn't mean it was set in motion by him. Liberalism is a mental disoder
Clint Eastwood is an old angry man. He should shut up. He sounded like an idiot during that speech at the RNC.
He is a Hollywood icon with a great legacy. Shut up now and do not ruin that.
Odd that Romney PAC wants to remind voters of the poorly run RNC convention.
Don't they have locks on the senile actor's home? He's baked.
@CryBabies
Your name says it all and it's also perfect for your candidate and your party.
Obama/Biden 2012
Anyone but Obama?? Be careful what you ask for.
RYAN / romney 2012.........We'll build a nation of haves and have nots. Who needs the middle class?
Clint. We love your movies but you have lost your mind.
Romney is a guy who won't show his tax returns, has millions in foreign back accounts, brags that he paid "at leas" 13% for the past ten years – but won't show his returns to prove it...
and damn... he pays a total tax of 13% but small business plumbers who make 100,000 a year have to pay 14% on payroll alone another 20 something on federal taxes meaning the plumber pays a tax rate of 35% but Romney pays 13% on $22 million?
First the GOP used Eastwood and it caused an embarrassment for him, now they have propped him up in "that chair", probably drugged him and put a camera in his face, how disgusting the GOP would stoop this low.
Sorry clint ... the stock market has doubled since obama took office, unemployment is coming down ... slowly but it IS coming down, on the world stage, our allies are far more comfortable with us.
willard hasn't given any ... ANY ... realistic/feasible reason to put him in the oval office.
Poor, senile Clint. Still love his movies, but he needs to shut up. I realize the backlash over the silly empty chair fiasco embarrassed him, but let it go, Clint.
Hope Eastwood has all the money he will ever need because no one will be buying or spending money on his movies from here on out. Sad to see someone ruin their legacy right before our very eyes.
I'll take what morgan freeman says over eastwood any day. Eastwoods daughter agrees w me 2!