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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated
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To: KLP who wrote (505468)8/31/2012 4:56:28 AM
From: LindyBill  Read Replies (4) of 794180
 
Clint Eastwood stars opposite empty chair

By Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Tampa




©AFP
The final night of the Republican party convention included an unexpected – and rambling – appearance by Clint Eastwood.

His presence was a reminder that the Hollywood actor is a Republican.

On this storyOn this topicIN US Politics & Policy
In February, Mr Eastwood’s voiceover for a Chrysler advertisement that aired during the Super Bowl halftime show – “Halftime in America” – was criticised for being too political and an implicit endorsement of Barack Obama.

But he did not flinch in taking aim at the president at the Tampa convention, mocking the tears that were shed at the nomination of the first black president four years ago and saying that the nation’s 23m unemployed were a real cause for tears. However, the latest report from the Bureau of Labour Statistics said that 23m people were underemployed and 12.8m were unemployed.

“Possibly now I think it is time for someone else to come along and solve the problem,” Mr Eastwood said.

He then proceeded to have a conversation with an empty chair – an imaginary Mr Obama. He referred to vice-president Joe Biden as a “grin with a body behind it” and made two jokes that implied a vulgarity.

He brought the convention floor to its feet in his final send-off.

“When someone does not do the job, you gotta let them go.”

Within an hour, chatter about the surreal speech had taken over Twitter with people tweeting pictures of #eastwooding, or pointing to an empty chair.

Even Mr Obama’s Twitter account took part, tweeting a picture of the president in a chair saying “this seat’s taken”.

Roger Ebert, the film critic, tweeted afterwards: “Clint, my hero, is coming across as sad and pathetic. He didn’t need to do this to himself. It’s unworthy of him.”

Mr Obama’s campaign did not have a comment, but instead a spokesman directed Politico, the political website, to refer “all questions on this to Salvador Dali”.

Mr Romney’s campaign did not comment other than to say “judging an American icon like Clint Eastwood through a typical political lens doesn’t work”.
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