Eastwood, Palin and the Long Goodbye
Tropical Storm Isaac put a damper on the first day of the Republican National Convention. But nothing hit Tampa by surprise quite as much as what happened on the last day.
Tuesday, it was announced that a special mystery guest speaker would appear before Mitt Romney on the final night of the convention. The most famous of the small tribe of Hollywood Republicans, Clint Eastwood took the stage. Dirty Harry looked a little more like Crazy Uncle Harry as he stood on the podium. But he’s 82, after all, and it happens to the best of them.
The difference is that as soon as he got rolling, he sounded like Crazy Uncle Harry. What ensued was a jaw-dropping, babbling, semi-ad libbed series of words, and a one-sided conversation with an invisible and foul-mouthed President Obama sitting in a chair by his side. “What?” he asked the chair. “What do you want me to tell Romney? I can’t tell him to do that. He can’t do that to himself. You’re crazy,” he said. “You’re absolutely crazy.”
“Yeah. I’M crazy…” thought the chair.
Remember the days when the Republican Party was all about “respecting the office?” The first time I heard that phrase was from my grandmother – one of the old “cloth coat Republicans” when being a Republican meant being a respectable citizen who balanced your checkbook. Jimmy Carter had just been elected, and I was 10. Somehow, having a president who had been a peanut farmer was appealing to me. He seemed to be like the old thoughtful gentlemen agrarian souls who founded our nation. I liked him.
She didn’t. But after the election she explained to me that “Even if you don’t agree with the president, everyone always respects the office of the president,” she explained. “Most Americans voted for him, even though not everyone did.” If my grandmother had a problem with an elected official (which she did often), she’d let them know about it personally with a hand-written letter. “I had a bone to pick with him, and I gave him a piece of my mind,” she’d say. But it was between her and them and it was nobody else’s business.
I’m not saying I’ve never said a bad thing about a president. And I’m not saying that we should sit politely by and not question acts which violate our core beliefs. But to watch the actual Republican National Convention, and to see my imaginary president placed in a chair with obscenities put in his mouth was a bit much.
As most of the viewership sat speechless, Romney’s clean-up crew went to work and released a statement almost immediately after Eastwood left the stage:
“Judging an American icon like Clint Eastwood through a typical political lens doesn’t work,” the statement read. “His ad libbing was a break from all the political speeches, and the crowd enjoyed it. He rightly pointed out that 23 million Americans out of work or underemployed is a national disgrace and it’s time for a change.”
I guess they needed a break, right at the end. And as long as the crowd enjoyed it, that’s what really counts. Right? I mean, think of Sarah Palin and the whole “palling around with terrorists” thing. The crowd LOVED it! Success! *high five*
Speaking of Palin, the master of the presidential smack-down, she was nowhere to be seen. Not invited to speak at the convention, she also had appearances at Fox cancelled. Never one to take anything lying down, or let a perceived slight go by, Fox became the latest entity to be on the receiving end of a finger waggle by the ex-half-term governor who is rapidly becoming more chip, than shoulder.
Her weapon of choice? Facebook. This one required way more than the 140 characters allowed on Twitter.
I’m sorry Fox cancelled all my scheduled interviews tonight because I sure wanted to take the opportunity on the air to highlight Senator John McCain’s positive contributions to America, to honor him, and to reflect on what a biased media unfairly put him through four years ago tonight. Granted, our honored and esteemed war hero has gone through much more than the liberal media can ever do to him in their efforts to harm this patriot. I look forward to hearing his words to his fellow Americans tonight more than any of the other convention speeches. God bless John McCain. Thank you for everything. And happy birthday, my friend.
– Sarah Palin
It reminds me of Palin’s reaction in 2008 when she was told that no, she would not be the first vice presidential nominee in history to deliver a concession speech on election night. But golly gee, she just wanted to pay tribute to John McCain, she said.
Roger Ailes, commander of the Fox empire had said at one point that he hired Palin because she was “hot and got ratings.” The latter is becoming no longer true, and the former is only a matter of time. Ailes may be cutting his losses, as he becomes the latest to regret his association with the acid-tongued narcissist.
The rumor is that Palin may be given her walking papers by Fox. Her contract end date is looming. She did what she was told, said what she was told to say, and now they’re done. Your money is on the dresser, and don’t be here in the morning.
In the movie Game Change, McCain operative Steve Schmidt leaned over to the aide who had found Palin on Google, and asked, “Still think she’s fit for office?” Palin was on the stage, waving to the crowd still fuming that she hadn’t been allowed to take the microphone. The aide responds, “Who cares? In 48 hours no one will even remember who she is.”
It’s been a long, long 48 hours. But four years after Palin took the stage and wowed the nation while Alaskans sat in shock, gaping at their TVs and thinking “But, she didn’t say thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere,” Palin may finally, at long last, be crossing that bridge.
Gosh, Palin not being invited to the RNC, and Fox zipping her lip for her, is, well…missed opportunities…lol…
Speaking of the NRC convention, in his speech, Chris Christie referred to Jerry Brown, Gov of CA, as a “retread”.
Jerry Brown is a fitness guy, eats right, exercises, etc. and when he heard of Christie’s remark, acknowledged he could be called that as he did serve as that state’s gov. several years ago, but felt he was in pretty good shape for a “retread”. Then he issued Christie a challenge:
A 3 mile race!
That’s the funniest thing to come out of that convention, and it was a Democrat. Can’t wait until tomorrow!
“reflect on what a biased media unfairly put him through four years ago tonight.”
What on earth does the Grizzled Mama mean by this, does anyone know? Yes, August 29, 2008 was the date he announced choosing her, but why is she claiming the media put John McCain through some kind of ordeal? is she claiming that by scrutinizing her, that somehow damaged him?
It’s weird projection, since of course the selection of Palin leads almost any thinking person to question McCain’s judgement. But from the crazed squirrel cage that represents her mind, what does she mean by casting John McCain as the “victim” of media bias?
Especially since during the 2008 campaign, McCain had a great relationship with the press. They fawned upon him and favored him so much it spurred the internet meme of the “tire swing.”
Hmmmmm… something about the Eastwood appearance has been niggling at the back of my mind and it may be that part of an answer is in this thread.
Isn’t it true that, of all the speeches at a political convention, the one that get the most media coverage and is most widely viewed is the nominee’s acceptance speech? That being so (I think), what better way of diverting attention from the nominee’s empty posturing to a sad old man, rambling on in a manner inconsistent with complete mental heath, an appearance that was (possibly) calculated to draw the majority of reaction, both public and private?
I’ve heard and seen 5 commentaries on Eastwood to every 1 about the actual nomination speech… this campaign, as with many before it, has been about obfuscation but this one has been especially adept at fear-mongering, at stirring up a witch’s brew of mistrust, of willful ignorance, of cozening to a segment of the population that is longing for a Leave It to Beaver world, even though such a world never actually did exist. Any campaign that is capable of lying in such a brazen manner is capable of anything.
What scares me other than what this says about certain high-ups in the GOP, is that so many people are sucking it all up like electric blue kool-aid.
(Lani, thanks for the heads-up. Have asked to register as Bonefish. Have been trying to get to the forum forever and have been missing out and missing y’all.)
Ya’ll might want to wander over to Jim Wright’s blog and read his take on Clint Eastwood.
http://www.stonekettle.com/ His usual level of excellence on display.
GOOD One!!!!!!!!
Everyone expected Dirty Harry to show up in that convention center to anoint Mitt Romney with the blessed oil of his steely-eyed All-American gravitas and patriarchal judgmental certainty of what’s Good and Evil about mice and men.
Howard showed up instead.
Who’s Howard? Howard was a patient of mine many years ago. He had been the CEO of a blue-chip stock company until age caught up with him. He then came under my care at an “exclusive” nursing home where he spit at, cursed at and bit anyone trying to help him.
I liked Howard. I always silently gave him a salute in admiration for “raging against the dying of the light”…..even while I swerved to avoid his flying fists and sharp teeth.
The GOP expected Dirty Harry, and they got Howard. That’s the only truth to come out of that sorry convention.
The LA Times is asking whether Clint Eastwood tarnished his film legacy. You can read my comment there as well, but LA Times severely limits the number of articles you can read for free, so you may not want to:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-critics-notebook-clint-eastwood-20120901,0,7161253.story
I don’t “do” Twitter myself, but I have enjoyed reading about the new Twitter site, “Invisible Obama”, that came up within minutes of Eastwood’s rambling comments:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/08/31/best-of-invisibleobama-tweeters-strike-back-eastwooding-begins.html
Related to that are the various new photos now known as “eastwooding” that followed…
It seemed really odd to me that the Republicans had to have a “mystery guest” on the final night of their convention. That’s supposed to be the most exciting night because the presidential nominee has the floor. The star is supposed to be the presidential nominee and his great speech and all of the excitement that the nominee inspires in the audience. Was the GOP afraid that no one would tune in for the last night of their convention? Did the convention organizers know in advance what a bore Mitt Romney would be on stage?
The measure of a man or woman is their veracity. From the transcripts, Eastwood lied. Gitmo? Obama tried to shut it down and was thwarted by congress. Unemployment? Yes, when he took office the economy was shedding more than 50,000 jobs a week. I am reminded somewhat of the incident with Anthony Flew. Neocons appear to have no scruples regarding the exploitation of the frail and inchoherent. It is a sad thing to think that the body of work of a man such as this will be overshadowed by 12 minutes of disjointed babble and his legacy become one of the bemused and confused old man, insulting the elected head of the institution he claims allegience to. The is how Mitt Romney will treat elderly people. He will exploit them. And he will exploit anyone else he possibly can. He has managed to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars by exploiting people by what ever means available, this opportunity to be president is his impossible dream, if he attains it, he will acquire trillions.
Let’s see his tax returns for the past ten years.
I don’t feel to sorry for Eastwood. He could have said no. And doesn’t he have an agent, even as famous as he is? Isn’t an agent supposed to do what’s in the best interest of a client? Well, maybe not.
I already knew I didn’t agree with his politics. Now I know I don’t have much respect for him either.
And it showed that whoever was in charge of the program doesn’t have much common sense to let anyone go on right before the candidate’s big moment, unscripted. I don’t care who it is – they should have known what he was going to say and do and if he didn’t, they should have had a strategy for getting him off the stage.
Strategy??? R-money and strategy,
come on,
His ONLY strategy has been lie, obfuscate, and outspend everyone else, he thinks his billionaire friends can buy him the election like his dad gave him all that stock his wifey and him slummed through college selling so they didn’t have to work alongside the Hoi polloi .
They don’t worry about strategy with all those states controlled by GOPers hell bent on using tactics that would make Stalin proud to deny any perceived opponents the right to cast their ballots come November..
Remember Katherine Harris in Florida 2000 and Ken Blackwell in Ohio 2004 was the best strategy the shrub ever had,
R-money doesn’t use a strategy, they just spend more money spin bigger and bigger lies and hope the sheeple buy the whole sack of crap they are selling.
After all it worked before. … strategies are for those who think they can lose and R-money doesn’t in his wealth bubble he has always lived in.
Point well taken, Clif. 😉
Two weeks ago Clint dropped a cool million on the Romney campaign. He paid for that spot on stage. So surprised at his politics though.
@ Pat in Washington, et.al. Here’s the tiny to a segment from last night’s Daily Show — the whole episode is John Stewart’s wrap up of the awesomeness that was the 2012 RNC Convention… this particular bit [runtime: 4:58] is specifically about the man who the GOTPers would wish president: http://tinyurl.com/9s9k46d
IMHO, JS really out did himself last night; the entire show is well worth a watch. beth.
Actually, a better link is: http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/fri-august-31-2012-
It’s to the entire episode — with the whole first 12:08 discussing The Chair, Eastwood, AND Romney — and it totally ROCKS! beth.
As a life-long Alaskan, I’m embarrassed to be associated with those Wasilla hillbillies, even by proximity. The sooner she and her brood fades into the fog, the happier I’ll be. Sit down, turn off your megaphone and shut up.
Jon Stewart’s wrap-up of the RNCs convention — on now, here on the east coast — is even more brilliant than his usual brilliance. Absolutely fantastic! beth,
I have always enjoyed Clint’s body of work. Some I even count among my all-time favorites.
Until last night, however, I hadn’t realized how *excellently* his films have all been edited — either by himself or by another; without an incredibly keen eye in the editing room, what ends up showing is a rambling mish-mash of utter confusion, glimpses of possible brilliance and genius, and a whole lot of overwhelmingly nonsensical garbage.
He was in dire need of a good editor last night. Sadly, he didn’t have one, and as a result, I’m a’feared he will be remembered, not as a super actor, writer, and editor, but, instead, as a certifiable whacko. beth.
–‘course I should have known there was ‘something afoot’ with him while channel-surfing the other night and happened to catch part of the reality show: Mrs. Eastwood & Company [premiered 20 May 2012]. He briefly entered a room where his wife and daughter (and some others) were having a bit of a set-to, and proceded to make a couple of comments that showed he clearly wasn’t as ‘engaged’ with reality as one would have hoped someone as iconic a he, would be. I found it sad. After his Thurs night performance, I find it even sadder. b.
Eastwood / Palin 2016 !!!
JOKE——Right?
Right! Extremely right!
As for $arah, it couldn’t happen fast enough for me to see her disappear, “bless her heart” (or whatever vile, black, wretched thing takes the place of that organ in her chest). She must be really proud of what she has sewn in this country. I hope the new year sends her off with a whimper.
My first gut response to Clint was…WTF? Then I thought he was trying and failing to do some sort of Bob Newhart type skit. Then I thought (despite the lines that made him sound as if he were addressing either the imaginary “angry black man”-e.g. boogeyman… or perhaps it was the little “boy” that somehow needed “schooling”), perhaps he is turning the republicans’ cognitive dissonance back upon them and he is really a secret Obama supporter that they foolishly paid to get up there and make a fool of himself and everyone in the room. The GOP actually cheering for getting out of Afghanistan tomorrow??? But they oh so want to start a war with Iran… Now I am scratching my uncombed head. Now I don’t know what to make of it. Perhaps it was a way of distracting from the Mitt Romney speech that was so boring that I had to shut it off. ” Look-over there- it’s Clint-WTF is he doing?” so that today we would all be talking about Clint and his empty chair instead of what a stuffed shirt of lies Mitt and his cohorts all are and the fact that they don’t have a plan for anything that they are complaining about except to leave the 99% in the gutter. Either way, my checkbook is coming out for PRESIDENT Obama today and as often as I can afford for the next 2 months. The Twittersphere has been entertaining, I wonder if Imaginary Obama has a facebook page yet? I keep my laughter down, however, in case this was truely a case of Clint moving into dementia because I have a lot of history with that with my dearly departed Dad and it is definitely not funny. If he is really demented, then shame on the RNC.
Bob Newhart thought Eastwood was doing an impression of him.
The telling point that the republicans knew how bad things were when POTUS Obama was elected was the fact that George W bush was not invited to speak. they did not want the country to be reminded of the 8 years of hell this country went through with his lying about Saddam Hussein and WMD, the lack of action before 9/11 and the economy.
It was all there during Bush’s years.
Remember how they milked 9/11? Until OBL was killed by this president. Was it even mentioned?
Palin will find a new bff. His name is glenn beck.
Yet the delegates cheered Jeb Bush’s defense of his brother, calling him a patriot and that he kept our country safe… hello, what about 9/11?
I can’t even imagine how hard she is to live with as her dreams of being a billionaire King maker, sink into the sunset and fade…….out. I almost feel sorry for Todd.
I think the whole family thought they could become millionaires!
I find it hard to believe that anyone chooses to live with her anymore. Maybe the little ones, but if Todd is half a man, he’s got them with him in LA or wherever he’s camping these days.
I feel more sorry for that poor fridge.
Clint is old and apparently forgetful. He seems to forget the mess the last Harvard MBA President made. I’m referring to GW Bush who as a candidate ran as the MBA Candidate. Bush and Cheney were marketed as leaders with business credentials. We will not be fooled again, Mr. Eastwood.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/30/1125935/-LYIN-RYAN-ALL-THE-MEDIA-PUSHBACK?detail=hide
Zyxomma posted these web sites that ” should be seen, read, and passed on to others” And I agree. It will take some time to wade thru all of them, but well worth it . I have started sending this info to our local Democrats, so that they can also send to people the know.
I replied to ZyXomma here:
Lacy Lady says:
August 30, 2012 at 8:50 pm
Thank you. It will take awhile to read all of these, but I will . Also will pass them on.
After what I heard tonight, coming out of Rommney’s mouth—–another list will have to be passed around. That man insulted our military men and women in service. And apparently he doens’t know that Russia has Nukes and we are at peace with Russia. He also doesn’t seem to know that our President has done more for Israel than any other president.
For a man who spent his time in France to get out of service during the Viet Nam War, he doesn’t seem to worry about starting another War.
Glad you enjoyed the links, Lacy Lady. Here’s another:
http://front.moveon.org/from-selling-daddys-stock-to-buying-the-presidency-mitt-romneys-heroic-story-inspires-millionaires-everywhere/
It’s a short video, and good for a giggle.
Loved it! A real classic!
Thanks
I forgot to add that on the Jay Leno show tonight—-he said that after the nomination of Rommney, white smoke came out of the chimmney of the Swiss Bank
While Clint Eastwood can be laughed off, I was taken aback by the lack of respect for Obama and the office of the President. Mitt Romney said last night: If there is a tough sproblem to solve, we need an American (paraphrase). Another not-so-subtle birther reference to Onama. And the snarky quote of Obama wanting to prevent the ocean levels from rising- clearly talking about climate change- Romney treats that subject with distain.
And of course the coniued lies about Medicare cuts….
What a tragedy if Romney wins because of overwhelming Super PAC money and lies-
Re overwhelming Super PAC money, this oughta give everyone a righteous nightmare:
http://www.digbysblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/rove-and-billionaires-and-guy-who-keeps.html
This story [link to BusinessWeek article] about Karl Rove’s billionaire circle jerk illustrates everything that’s wrong with our system. It’s almost impossible to believe that this can be called a democracy at this point:
On the final morning of the Republican National Convention, Karl Rove took the stage at the Tampa Club to provide an exclusive breakfast briefing to about 70 of the Republican party’s highest-earning and most powerful donors. During the more than hour-long session, Rove explained to an audience dotted with hedge fund billionaires and investors—including John Paulson and Wilbur Ross—how his super PAC, American Crossroads, will persuade undecided voters in crucial swing states to vote against Barack Obama. He also detailed plans for Senate and House races, and joked, “We should sink Todd Akin. If he’s found mysteriously murdered, don’t look for my whereabouts!”
It’s really disturbing to think of all the money they are throwing at this election cycle. And what’s more disturbing is that it might work. We have to get people more excited about voting, like they were in 2008. The problem is that I think some people saw then-candidate Obama as some sort of saviour instead of as a real person, with strengths and weaknesses.
I have no hesitation in voting for him this time round, but I’m not sure what to do about the people who focus on their disappointments in him rather than on all the good things he has accomplished.
I know our country is having a hard time right now, and recovery to get back on track is taking a long time.
However——-these Reps don’t know what a real depression looks like.
I am old enought to remember my parents talking about the Great depression. The one we are in now-can’t begin to compare.
My mother said that she hid behind the door when the “rent man” came to collect the $10.,00 for the months house rent.
The woman that I worked with at the County Treasurer’s office, was an older woman who remembered when she worked for 10 cents an hour—–wrapping butter.
sooooooo many stories of the Great Depression.
Now Mr Rommney thinks he can turn things around and create —-what was it? Millions of jobs.
Maybe his plan is to engage America in another War and send more men and women off to some foreign country——the ones he forgot to mention in his speech.
The Republicans are tearing down what makes America Great!!!!!!!!!!!
His promise of 12 million jobs is what economists predict if the current economic policies continue. Just like Romney’s start of Bain Capital, no risk involved.
On NPR today: bridge analyst said if US would invest $60B in repairs of bridges in critical condition, the program would put 1 million construction workers back to work and off welfare- and it would be deficit neutral, that doesn’t include the ripple effect of people now with paychecks.
Of course, the Republicans would refuse to consider this- like the refusal to discuss/pass the jobs (construction, highways) bill that has been languishing since October. They won’t do anything that might help Obama get re-elected.
No mention of Obama’s jobs bill that was killed stone dead by Congress.
But the GOPPERS will always send taxpayer money to any company making and selling weapons.
Mitt doesn’t want to turn things around! He wants people to wrap butter for 10 cents an hour!
My parents also regaled us with Depression tales. Mom was fortunate; she got a job with Pennsylvania RR (now Amtrak), and like many a dutiful daughter, handed it over to her mother every week. Her father, who left home (in Austria) at 7 and managed to learn a trade (tailor), learn English, and earn his passage here by 11 (!), was so bitter at having no work that he used to show his contempt by spitting in the soup. Worn out shoes were lined with cardboard. Mom owned one dress. They didn’t have gloves, so they carried baked potatoes to keep their hands warm. Dad left home at 16, right after graduating Brooklyn College. After multiple adventures, he ended up on an Arkansas ranch with Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, and the Weavers. They taught music, he taught art.
The Great Depression was the reason the social safety net was constructed. Our elders should not be reduced to eating dog food. Our youth should be educated and fed, and have roofs over their heads. We should not all be sacrificed at the altar of greed.
By “it” I mean her paycheck. Oh, for an edit button (although I’d gladly give up that dream for a return to The Forum).
We’re hanging out here for the time being. http://thealpinegardennursery.com/Mudroom/
My grandparents came from Austria. Vienna
She was a seamstress, He was a Talior.
They had a boarding house where many coming from the “old country” would come to stay.
Very hard working people. These are the kinds of people that have made our country great.
Guess this is why it makes me angry to hear the Rommneys talk about ‘People on the dole”
Welfare —food stamps—–lazy & other choice words.
My mom lost her dad when she was a toddler. Plunged the family into poverty a few years before the depression swept the country. She walked the train tracks after school, looking for fallen coal to heat their one room house/shack. Her usual Christmas present was an orange, which she cherished. WWII saved the family because she got a government job and could send most of her paycheck to her mom and siblings. She never recovered from the hunger and cold of her childhood, always scared that everything she had achieved could vanish at any moment.
Sorry, Lacy Lady, this is a reply to Lani. Thanks for telling me about the mudroom; I just registered. Looking forward to the email accepting my registration!
I’ve thought the same thing. I don’t think a lot of them really understood what it meant when there was talk of a second great depression.
My mom’s family came through OK as there were in a more central part of Kansas and in town. She talked about how hard it was – everyone had one dress for weekdays and one for Sunday, none of them were fancy. My mom was luckier than most as she was a good artist and could sketch a dress she saw in the store and her mother who was a seamstress and did tailoring could make the dress from the sketch. Very often she took apart something old for the material. And the biggest thing was that everyone was in the same boat so people made it through.
But a friend who was older lived in Garden City on a farm through that time. He talked about how they lived in a dug-out house in the 1930s, couldn’t make any money on their farm because of the Dust Bowl. I asked him why they didn’t leave, thinking of the Joad family in Grapes of Wrath. He said they couldn’t afford to leave – no money for gas and they had sold everything that might let them start over.
Maybe because some of us had those face to face conversations with people who lived through that time the seriousness of our recent recession has more meaning. And we got out of it by, not austerity, but government spending.
Matt Taibbi in Rolling Stone:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/greed-and-debt-the-true-story-of-mitt-romney-and-bain-capital-20120829#ixzz258H0G7d5
“Like John McCain four years before, Romney desperately needed a vice-presidential pick that would change the game. But where McCain bet on a combustive mix of clueless novelty and suburban sexual tension named Sarah Palin, Romney bet on an idea. He said as much when he unveiled his choice of Ryan, the author of a hair-raising budget-cutting plan best known for its willingness to slash the sacred cows of Medicare and Medicaid. “Paul Ryan has become an intellectual leader of the Republican Party,” Romney told frenzied Republican supporters in Norfolk, Virginia, standing before the reliably jingoistic backdrop of a floating warship. “He understands the fiscal challenges facing America: our exploding deficits and crushing debt.””
Sarah WHO?
What utterly amazes me is that Romney selected Ryan for his *specific* “strengths”/abilities, and yet, within minutes of Ryan making his speech-of-a-lifetime where he ostensibly presented those creds to the nation, where he ostensibly showcased how appropriate and prepared he was for the position, and how his fiscal know-how would surely enhance the already-awesome RNC nominee’s, Romney’s, presidency, EVERYONE –including FAUX!– slammed the *multiple* inaccuracies and falsehoods [aka: outright lies] in it!
My G-d, we’re not talking about Ryan having a momentary ‘slip of the tongue’, here, we’re talking about him speechifying on multiple things he had already tossed out into the air multiple times in the past couple of weeks, and had *already* had dead-aim shot-down an equal amount of times, for their being so patently false! It’s not like he –nor a single sole in the upper echelons of the Romney campaign– didn’t *know* his assertions were demonstrably and verifiably false by Wednesday night, what with the ‘pants on fire’ reaction each generated (across all media of all political leanings) upon their previous airings…
And Romney calls him “an intellectual leader of the Republican party”. What more can one say? beth.
Choice bits culled from today’s blogs on Eastwood’s foolishness:
“The Obama campaign’s response also deserves to be quoted. “Referring all questions on this to Salvador Dalí,” campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt e-mailed to reporters… [Brad DeLong]
“I had no idea Clint was such an Andy Kaufman fan. That was a tremendous tribute.” [Ginandtacos]
“I’ll summarize Clint’s speech for anyone who cannot view the video:
“We can’t bust heads like we used to, but we have our ways. One trick is to tell them stories that don’t go anywhere. Like the time I took the ferry to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe so I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on them. ‘Give me five bees for a quarter’, you’d say. Now where were we, oh ya. The important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn’t have white onions because if the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones.” [Ginandtacos]
Anyone who doesn’t know the reference in the last quote, see me after class.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRUj8dma0oo
Here’s my favorite response: https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/241392153148915712/photo/1