Last updated on February 7th, 2013 at 10:32 pm
Clint Eastwood calls out the “dummies” running the Romney campaign, saying to Extra TV, “If somebody’s dumb enough to ask me to go to a political convention and say something, they’re gonna have to take what they get.”
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In case you think Clint is just Eastwooding, the internal finger pointing has already commenced over at R headquarters, and indeed, we discovered that Romney so wanted a Hollywood star that he agreed to let Clint speak without vetting his speech.
Politico reported:
The convention finale was undermined even further by Eastwood’s rambling comedy routine, which became the only glimpse that many swing voters got of the Republican show. Eastwood had been added to the program after chatting with Romney at a fundraiser in Idaho just weeks before the convention.
Stevens and his team loved the idea of the tough-talking American icon greeting the millions of viewers tuning in to the main event. But Eastwood, unlike every other speaker at the tightly controlled convention, had free rein to say or do whatever he wanted without the campaign’s approval. Eastwood has said just minutes before going live, he was handed a chair to sit on, which he promptly decided should become a prop in his speech.
Many in the Romney high command watched in fury. Later, a poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that for many voters — especially independents and casual viewers, exactly the ones convention organizers hoped to reach — the Eastwood skit, not Romney’s speech, was the highlight of the convention.
Did Clint go rogue? Is he a stealth operator? This is the guy who did the moving tribute to Detroit’s auto industry after all. He is known as a great boss, loyal to his crew, and down to earth enough to not cut in front of others in the lunch line. Those little things matter.
But even though he called Romney “dumb enough” to invite him to speak, Eastwood still likes Romney. No info as to why or what he likes about him, except that Eastwood thinks that Romney will be “more organized” and “more businesslike” (like we’ve seen with Mitt’s foreign policy tours or the chaotic and ineffectual way Romney runs his campaign?).
Which makes sense when you realize that Mitt and his dysfunctional team of “you built that disaster” also scrapped Romney’s convention speech at the last minute – twice. Two different writing teams down the tube. Then Mitt rewrote it (something he seems remarkably adroit at – as in, rewriting past events) and that is how he managed to forget the troops, the wars, and any semblance of even remote charm.
Clint said he has no problem with Obama personally, but he does have a problem with the “situation” we are in now. Eastwood is disturbed by the use of teleprompters, except when Reagan did it well. No doubt this gripe is personal, since actors in films don’t get to use teleprompters very often, but it does stink of rather silly Fox talking points.
Would Clint do it all again? You betcha! Proving he really is a Republican, Eastwood said, “I never look backward. It’s done and it’s done. I probably would, I wouldn’t be afraid of it.”
Clint seems to think his RNC appearance was reminiscent of Bob Newhart type humor, but Bob Newhart still has all of his marbles and he’s not rambling about teleprompters or pretending that the President of the United States is telling the nation he has nothing but contempt for them. No, Bob Newhart leaves that kind of ugliness to Mitt Romney.
Oh, and Bob Newhart just so happens to be that rare star who exceeds your expectations as a human being.
Clint Eastwood has always been a decent guy who cared about his country. He just seems super grumpy and mildly confused these days and who can blame him? He thinks a good “businessman” (code for Republican) can fix what’s broken in DC, which means he hasn’t been paying attention and is stuck on a nostalgic memory of the Republican Party of yesteryear. Psst, Clint, the “businessmen” broke DC!
Clint Eastwood: Go ahead, dummy, give me a chair. Make my day.
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