Patterico's Pontifications

He should get Matt Scully to work on his speeches.

Patterico (83033d) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:03 pm

Well… his hair helmet looks polished.

Leviticus (cd2e4b) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:06 pm

Felt sincere when he was talking about his parents though, I’ll give him that.

Leviticus (cd2e4b) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:07 pm

Mitt Romney, ten seconds later: “My job is to help you and your family.”

So much for that “government out of your life” bit.

Leviticus (cd2e4b) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:09 pm

Whoops. ~~ten seconds later~~.

Leviticus (cd2e4b) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:09 pm

Leviticus,

Surely you understand the contrast Romney was making:<i

“President Obama promised to slow the rise of the oceans and to heal the planet. My promise is to help you and your family.”

Dana (292dcf) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:14 pm

Poor Mitt.

Two words you’d never expect to see together until tonight.

He goes off into the platitude weeds fast. Broad strokes/bold visions– not.

Christie was meaner. Condi was leaner.

Y’all nominated the wrong guy.

DCSCA (9d1bb3) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:14 pm

Re-rack Clint. He was more entertaining.

DCSCA (9d1bb3) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:15 pm

I was much happier watching Ryan than Romney.

Then again, I was much happier watching Palin’s acceptance speech than McCain’s.

Patterico (83033d) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:16 pm

He seems like a nice guy. Just so bland.

Patterico (83033d) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:17 pm

For having little more than loathing for the right, DCSCA, you’re awfully concerned about who our candidate is…funny that.

Dana (292dcf) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:18 pm

No greek columns thankfully.

SPQR (26be8b) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:18 pm

Well, Patterico, right now I will take bland over “cool” with “well creased” slacks and tingles up legs.

So long as he at least tries to do something about the budget.

Like pass one.

Finally, consider this. POTUS actually said, with cameras rolling, that his election signaled the freaking healing of the planet. While Romney actually has tried to personally help people, and is humble about it.

Bland and humble and capable…over entitled and braggart and Chicago-mobbed up.

That’s the choice.

Simon Jester (aa2652) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:20 pm

I really, really hate to say this: Romney did not seal the deal. As a matter of fact, it was awful. His words were good. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am.

Ag80 (b2c81f) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:21 pm

I really, really hate to say this: Romney did not seal the deal. As a matter of fact, it was awful. His words were good. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am.

Ag80 (b2c81f) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:21 pm

Loved his poke at Putin. Bland is fine as long as it’s backed up with a steel spine and adherence to conservatism.

Dana (292dcf) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:21 pm

Hold on. Did our Walter Mitty Serial Prevaricator actually write:

“…He goes off into the platitude weeds fast….”

OMG. Irony, thy name is DCSCA.

Simon Jester (aa2652) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:21 pm

Four years ago, we elected a guy who gave great speeches.
…how’s that workin’ out ?

Elephant Stone (65d289) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:22 pm

And I am really sick of these stupid double posts.

Ag80 (b2c81f) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:22 pm

CLINT EASTWOOD: “We all know that Biden is the intellect of the Democratic Party.”

SPQR (26be8b) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:23 pm

You know, Romney’s not my favorite guy. But Mitt Romney does come from a background of showing up to help the neighbor when the neighbor’s wife’s car breaks down, or the neighbor’s house has a tree fall on it.

What Democrat politician do you know that you’d call for help if he was a neighbor? Not one. Hillary? Bill Clinton? Obama? Biden? Not if you didn’t want the problem f’d up more.

SPQR (26be8b) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:25 pm

Finally, consider this. POTUS actually said, with cameras rolling, that his election signaled the freaking healing of the planet. While Romney actually has tried to personally help people, and is humble about it.

Bland and humble and capable…over entitled and braggart and Chicago-mobbed up.

That’s the choice.

Comment by Simon Jester

Glad someone gets it. Good show, Simon.

Exceptionally strong finish and time will tell if the connection was made.

Colonel Haiku (cb4f3e) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:29 pm

Larry O’Donnell sez this was, “the best speech Romney has ever made.”

Speaks volumes.

@11- Mom was a Goldwater girl, Dana. It would be healthy to have a viable alternative. There is none this cycle. Although Chrisite would have piqued interest in our household given the family’s years in Jersey. It’s tough state to manage- North is urban- Douth quite rural. Y’all nominated the wrong guy.

DCSCA (9d1bb3) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:30 pm

except for condi and ryan it’s just been an abysmal dorkfest

when I started in tonight, on the radio in the car on the way home from the dentist, it was some olympics dork trying to do public speaking and I think I got through about 4 or 5 minutes of that and I was done for the evening

I got home and started some laundry and I emptied a bag of stuff I brought home from work and I’m almost done with the second bag I brought home

then I talked to my odf obamawhore friend what’s coming to visit and she told me that Paul Ryan makes her sick and I told her I liked Paul and Condi but the rest of that last night was embarrassing

she agreed that condi had done a nice job

then we talked about how in Los Angeles the weather is like this whereas in other places the weather is different

now I’m curious what to do for dinner I had umami burger today with a cakemonkey chaser and I’m still not very hungry

if I were the Romneys I could just whip out the tuna or the pasta but I think maybe I can just do ramen with some fresh cucumber and some leftover beef i grilled yesterday – that’s kinda like pasta and it’s definitely value so I bet it’s very similar at least to the kind of fare what has often graced the Romney table except for the orange stoli martini I’m a make before I eat it

happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:31 pm

I actually like the way Mitt phrased that line. What he was doing, was contrasting Obama’s over-the-top rhetoric and pie-in-the-sky aspirations with a legitimate down-to-earth goal of an American President such as improving the economy.
Mitt promises to help “you and your family” by reducing the reach of government—not by extending the reach of it.

He could have also phrased it, “President Obama promised to slow the rise of the oceans and heal the planet. I promise to slow the rise of the unemployment rate, and heal the economy.”

But I like the way Mitt phrased it. It’s got more nuance than….Greek columns !

Elephant Stone (65d289) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:31 pm

Leviticus,

Surely you understand the contrast Romney was making:<i

Don’t bet teh farm on it.

Colonel Haiku (cb4f3e) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:31 pm

Just remember that, to the MSM, NOTHING that the Republicans do will be okay. Nothing.

If Romney was polished, he would be too slick. Romney halting? Not up to the job.

Keep in mind that these same MSM folk defended and continue to defend Joe freakin’ Biden (the first choice a potential President makes) as a choice for VP.

This should be about judgement.

But there is nothing even handed and fair-minded about the media today. Such as the use of the word “lies” currently circling the blogosphere.

And remember, folks in 2008 thought that Obama was cool and collected and careful. He had “good judgement,” so many people thought.

Simon Jester (aa2652) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:32 pm

Jesse Jackson says the reason we won all those olympic medals is title 9.

elissa (184e78) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:34 pm

It is my fervent belief that the MAJORITY of American people yearn for a leader with competence and share their belief in American Exceptionalism.

Colonel Haiku (cb4f3e) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:35 pm

who shares their belief…

Colonel Haiku (cb4f3e) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:36 pm

happyfeet,

I resent the designer size of burgers at Umami. So trendy. Look at me, I’m a delicate burger.

In spite of that though, they really taste simply wonderful.

Dana (292dcf) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:36 pm

Did you notice Mitt’s ears don’t stick out? I very much like that quality in a president that I’m going to have to see a lot of on TV.

elissa (184e78) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:36 pm

Lets compare the decision making priorities and abilities of the two nominees for president:

Perhaps the first major decision a presidential nominee makes is a VP running mate, correct?

In one way, I don’t need to say anymore. Romney picks someone, agree or not, who actually has been working on real plans to do something about the budget, politically pretty or not.

Obama picked someone who … what, exactly?

Romney is serious about getting government to do the things it is supposed to.
Obama was serious about what? Making it easy for him to do what he wanted as POTUS with no voices of reason getting in the way??

MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:36 pm

It wasn’t great. It was solid. And I think that will ultimately be enough. After four years of raised hopes and dashed expectations, dependable and reliable look a whole lot better. We have Paul Ryan for excitement. We have Mitt Romney to remind us what an effective leader looks like.

Demosthenes (03df03) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:39 pm

Breaking news… this just in… Pussy Riot has endorsed Romney.

Colonel Haiku (cb4f3e) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:40 pm

MD in Philly, Obama’s first Presidential act was to pick the least qualified person for the job of Vice President – a man so stupid that he couldn’t figure out that when he read a speech that said that his father was a Welsh coal miner, that maybe he’d copied too literally.

SPQR (26be8b) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:41 pm

the size is silly and off-putting – as is how the vapid servers don’t tell you that one order of fries is more than plenty for two people – but we figured out if you cut them in half it’s like eating a normal sammich almost

plus you can dip them in the jalapeno ranch more better that way

happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:41 pm

Did you notice Mitt’s ears don’t stick out? I very much like that quality in a president

you go, girl!!!

Colonel Haiku (cb4f3e) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:41 pm

“Y’all nominated the wrong guy.”

DCSCA – I will happily return the sentiment.

daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:41 pm

iowahawkblog: “Claim: outbreak of upholstery soiling at MSNBC. Truthometer: TRUE”

Colonel Haiku (cb4f3e) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:43 pm

I don’t think the nominee’s speech ever seals the deal. It doesn’t seem likely that undecideds will make their decision based on how Mitt did on this one speech. But hopefully, the collective speeches of both Romney and Ryan will cause undecideds to further consider and pay attention to what they have to offer.

Dana (292dcf) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:43 pm

When a man as utterly unaccomplished, unqualified and utterly bereft of clue as Obama is elected President, to have DCSCA attack Romney as being the “wrong guy” to nominate …

well, that’s how DCSCA earned the moniker “International Man of Parody”.

SPQR (26be8b) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:44 pm

Four more years of the sh*t that 0bamabiden has subjected this nation to is deeply unacceptable.

Colonel Haiku (cb4f3e) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:45 pm

Breaking news… this just in… Pussy Riot has endorsed Romney.

Colonel, you middle aged guys will use any excuse to bring up that band.

Dana (292dcf) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:45 pm

Except for the “12 million new jobs” thing which is just silly, it was a fine speech. Guess which line the media will dissect ad nausium.

Kevin M (bf8ad7) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:46 pm

Guilty as charged, Dana!

Colonel Haiku (cb4f3e) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:47 pm

How’s Chrissy doing on the spittle-o-meter tonight? Has anybody checked?

elissa (184e78) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:48 pm

Pretentious burgers, hf. Far too self-aware.

Dana (292dcf) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:49 pm

“But hopefully, the collective speeches of both Romney and Ryan will cause undecideds to further consider and pay attention to what they have to offer.”

Dana – Remember, due to the Obamamedia, the guardians of Precious, many viewers have never seen any sustained criticism of Obama before coverage of this convention or sustained coverage of Republican ideas. That plus the outright lying and whining of the spinmeisters about what the new viewers just watched can only be positives for Team R

daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:49 pm

Mitt did better than juanny mac.

mg (44de53) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:49 pm

One glaring difference between Repubs and Dems. Every Repub speaker today was overwhelmingly upbeat and positive. The Dems are all about whiny blame shifting. I thought Mitt struck a decent balance tonight. Rubio was excellent and Clint knocked it out of the park. He may be 82 but he is still all there.

Gazzer (a90f39) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:50 pm

Lots of red meat, served cold, IMO.

The Sanity Inspector (93bc4f) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:51 pm

He seems like a nice guy. Just so bland.

Your point? Obama is cool. I want competent. Mitt knows as much about finance, economics and trade — real actual hands-on knowledge of How Things Work — as Obama doesn’t. Give me a dull technocrat any day over a right-brained huckster who thinks the economy is a zero sum game.

Kevin M (bf8ad7) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:52 pm

“Colonel, you middle aged guys will use any excuse to bring up that band.”

Dana – We could talk about Code Pink or switch to dick jokes if you prefer.

daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:52 pm

B-b-but what stuff will be FREE during a Romney presidency?

elissa (184e78) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:52 pm

You know Slow Joe was watching and was secretly pleased that Clint called him the intellect of the party. He’s unironic that way…

Gazzer (a90f39) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:54 pm

“He seems like a nice guy. Just so bland.”

No more hipster wannabe celebrity arugula eaters in the Oval Office please.

daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:54 pm

I was at a friend’s home last night and glanced at the tv that was on – MSNBC and the convention. My friend is pro-Obama but oddly is unable to see that her policy views are representative of conservatism and contrary to Obama’s policies. Anyway, she saw me glance at the tv, turned it down, and said, Oh, don’t bother with that (referring to the convention). I replied, Yeah, I know, I only watch MSNBC to see what the enemy is up to.

She had a momentary puzzled look on her face.

Dana (292dcf) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:55 pm

His speech was what it was supposed to be: Presidential.

john b (5c295f) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:57 pm

NG was pro-Obama and she came to see that her policy views are very very not Obama

he had his chance she said

done and done

that was just such a moment for me

happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/30/2012 @ 8:58 pm

Funnier than hell watching maddow, sharpton and, especially, Fat Drunk Ed Shultz, soberly bemoaning the disrespect that Clint Eastwood showed Teh Won… priceless.

Colonel Haiku (cb4f3e) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:01 pm

no more celebrity, Cult of Personality crap, thank you very much.

Colonel Haiku (cb4f3e) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:02 pm

“Y’all nominated the wrong guy.”

DCSCA – I will happily return the sentiment.

The still have a week to change their minds. Keep a poker face and talk up how difficult it will be to win this.

Kevin M (bf8ad7) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:02 pm

He reminds me a great deal of his father, who I knew as the President of Michigan State University (and crossed words with a few times.) There’s good and bad in that, and I’m not sure how to weigh it. He really has some of his father’s phrasings and body language, especially that ending the sentence with his head tilted, and then straightening and pointing it where his eyes had been looking. OK, maybe over-rehearsed.

Clint. The media are being savage towards him. I liked it.

Had a long talk with my mom yesterday, wishing her a happy birthday (she’s 92.) Among the other things, she wants to vote for Condi. “Most qualified person I’ve heard in decades.”

htom (412a17) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:03 pm

@1/@10– Even though it had a lot of holes in it, elements of Lyin’ Ryan’s pitch still stay with you a day later. Congrats to Scully. Already forgotton pretty much all of Romney’s- except for his despicable grab for Apollo kudos. Truly a souless droid. And the buzz already is Mitt was bigfooted by Eastwood’s riff. Bad stagecraft.

@24- Dorkfest? Even DCSCA finds that a tad harsh. They’ve been thrown off schedule due to the storm which was a tough break. Lost a whole day, so it appeared more disjointed. More interesting was the wide pans across the crowd on CSPAN and the ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ complextion of same. Condi could run for governor of California if she wanted to after that speech and likely win.

@6- “My promise is to help you and your family.” Romney should never have uttered that phrase in front of a camera or a mike, Dana.

DCSCA (9d1bb3) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:04 pm

Funnier than hell watching maddow, sharpton and, especially, Fat Drunk Ed Shultz, soberly bemoaning the disrespect that Clint Eastwood showed Teh Won… priceless.

Why? He called him Mr President, not “sucker” or “punk”.

Kevin M (bf8ad7) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:05 pm

@58 – We watch it w/o the noise on CSPAN then review the cablers afterwards.

DCSCA (9d1bb3) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:07 pm

Further, Clint was WAY more respectful to Obama than lefty comics ever were to Bush.

Kevin M (bf8ad7) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:08 pm

hurts m00nbats like dcsca to hear about those who have made it a habit to help people and who use those moments to teach their offspring that helping others in their time of need is what we are here on earth for. you know… people who actually “walk the walk”.

Colonel Haiku (cb4f3e) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:09 pm

it’s not a good sign really how comment-sparse most of the blogs I look at are tonight

but, again, this election is a referendum on food stamp, not a coronation of this Mitt Romney dishrag

happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:09 pm

==Romney should never have uttered that phrase in front of a camera or a mike, Dana.==

Ooh, interesting concept.
Let me think if there’s any phrase that President Obama should never have uttered in front of a camera or a mic. Give me a moment. Ah yes. A few of those are coming to me.

elissa (184e78) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:10 pm

m00nbats are like Margaret Mead in New Guinea with that whole concept…

Colonel Haiku (cb4f3e) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:10 pm

I make it a point to never watch a politician give a speech. I watch what they do instead. Harder to go wrong that way.

So what has impressed me about Mitt is all of the private charity and decency he has displayed without really touting any of it himself. This could not be more in contrast with Obama who has helped no one besides himself in his entire miserable life and endlessly touts his accomplishments, even when they are completely imaginary. This will be recorded as the moment when the seas began to fall… indeed!

Voluble (0b86d9) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:14 pm

I just feel fortunate that DCSCA has lowered himself to comment here tonight.

daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:17 pm

Obama – Ask not what you can do for you country, ask what’s in it for ME!!!!

daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:20 pm

Comment by SPQR — 8/30/2012 @ 8:41 pm

Exactly.

Between Obama’s lack of budgets and choice of Biden as VP, one should really look no further to have reason to vote for the alternative. No need to pay attention to sleepy or DCSCA or anybody until they can come up with half-reasonable justifications for either of those two facts.

MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:20 pm

Does DCSCA stand for Democratic-Communist Society of California?

Kaitian (4aadeb) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:22 pm

_______________________________________________

He seems like a nice guy. Just so bland.

That niceness admittedly comes with a lot of squish. No one can say this election involves two ideologues. Instead it pits an ultra-liberal — one with a “goddamn America” tarnish in his background — against a fairly conventional moderate-conservative.

If the election is close — and, of course, if Romney loses — then that will be a window into just how leftwing this country has become and where it’s headed. IOW, another Banana Republic with a red-white-and-blue theme of “don’t cry for me, Argentina.”

Mark (88885c) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:23 pm

Given DCSCA’s record of personal, self-aggrandizing dishonesty (remember playing soccer at the American Embassy in Moscow?), his calling anyone at all “lyin'” is hysterical.

How do you do it, sir? Literally, given your record, how can you call anyone at all dishonest?

I’m stumped by the enormity of his hypocrisy.

Simon Jester (aa2652) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:26 pm

Dishonest Cork Soakers of ______ _______ .

Colonel Haiku (cb4f3e) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:28 pm

Come Spring of 2013, when the many Obama syncophants start publishing their books trying to explain how the failure of Obama’s presidency was because their own brilliant advice was ignored … I’m going to be curious to see just how many different ways the syncophants find to describe just how insecure Obama is, just how self-absorbed and how divorced from reality he is.

And I’m curious just what point the self-destructive behavior first started manifesting during his admin. I have my own opinion of when – I think it was the day Paul Ryan called his bluff at the health care “summit”.

SPQR (26be8b) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:28 pm

It’s a clear choice between someone who comes off as sharp in a speech with no accomplishments to speak of, and someone who is “bland” in a speech but has a list a mile long of people who can actually describe things that he has accomplished.

MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:30 pm

____________________________________________

This could not be more in contrast with Obama who has helped no one besides himself in his entire miserable life and endlessly touts his accomplishments

He’s typical of a “limousine liberal,” meaning someone full of phony compassion, two-faced tolerance, lazy, shallow generosity and a passion for living the high life — and just as greedy and selfish about his toys and comfort as the biggest fat cat around — when the cameras are switched off.

Mark (88885c) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:33 pm

I wonder–do you think fast and furious is going to come up in any way in the campaign? I sort of don’t like the way it seems to have slipped off the radar screen. Does anybody have any thoughts about that?

elissa (184e78) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:33 pm

81 SPQR — the Greek columns, 2008.

htom (412a17) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:35 pm

“We’ve heard a lot of political rhetoric this week from the Republican National Convention. Most of it centered on President Obama’s “You didn’t build that” quote and other GOP talking points. Paul Ryan showed his party was ready to rumble with the Democrats in defense of a stand in favor of entitlement reform. But tonight for the first time this week and perhaps even this year, we’re hearing about who this man the Republicans nominated really is.

The portion of the convention evening we heard from those who worked with and were helped by Romney during his years as a Mormon pastor. The Oparowski family spoke of how Romney befriended their 14-year-old son who was dying from Leukemia. It was a sad touching story and the reaction from the audience showed there didn’t appear to be a dry eye in the house except perhaps in the MSNBC booth. After that we heard from a woman with a similar story of Romney’s goodness. His assistant pastor told of how Romney didn’t so much preach as lead by example. His theology was service to others. No matter what your faith is or even if you don’t believe in religion, there is no escaping the fact that this is a righteous and very good man.

A major aspect of the way we judge presidential candidates is by their character. Disagree with his policies if you like, but there’s no doubt that this is a man of sterling character whose personal virtues are beyond question. Given the vicious attacks launched against Romney’s character by the Obama campaign, these are stories that need to be told and retold by Republicans.”

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2012/08/30/the-man-the-republicans-nominated-romney-character/

Colonel Haiku (cb4f3e) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:35 pm

“I’m going to be curious to see just how many different ways the syncophants find to describe just how insecure Obama is, just how self-absorbed and how divorced from reality he is.”

SPQR – Meanwhile, Obama’s new memoir will describe the unwillingness of stupid voters to reelect him or his inability to persuade Congress to adopt his brilliant plans as mere messaging problems.

We are not worthy. Truly.

daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:51 pm

“…but there’s no doubt that this is a man of sterling character whose personal virtues are beyond question.”

Except they’re not.

And there’s doubt-a-plenty within the ranks of his own party who question them; question his core values, his true beliefs and carry doubt on his transient devotions to his ever-changing positions of convenience. He’s a flip-flopper; a means-to-an-end-pol on the make for this gig for a decade. Sterling ain’t worth what it used to be.

When you’re lost in the wilderness, you check your compass. The GOP’s always points to Reagan. Romney is no where near the Reagan heading.

You nominated the wrong guy.

DCSCA (9d1bb3) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:52 pm

_____________________________________________

I sort of don’t like the way it seems to have slipped off the radar screen.

I think a lot of things have fallen by the wayside, if only because this society has become increasingly desensitized and inured to scandals and outrageous behavior. Or controversies that in decades gone by would have immediately sealed a politician’s fate. So matters like Fast and Furious are merely so much background noise to a populace full of those who are both dumbed-down and feel-good.

Disagree with his policies if you like, but there’s no doubt that this is a man of sterling character whose personal virtues are beyond question.

I can honestly, truly say that if the titans of today’s Democrat Party, meaning figures like Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Barack Obama, had backgrounds and a nature similar to a Romney or a Reagan, I’d find it quite difficult to be as disdainful of them as I am. IOW, while I don’t care for left-leaning thinkers, I overall do admire decent, honest, reliable and generous (meaning truly generous) people regardless of their political bent.

Mark (88885c) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:55 pm

____________________________________________

You nominated the wrong guy.

Which illustrates just how leftwing you are if you still think that Obama is a better alternative.

Mark (88885c) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:58 pm

“He’s a flip-flopper; a means-to-an-end-pol on the make for this gig for a decade.”

DCSCA – List the flip flops please. It makes a great talking point, but show some facts.

daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/30/2012 @ 9:59 pm

DCSCA – If you really want to talk about flip floppers and promise breakers we should focus on Obama, but we would need to start a separate thread. Your party nominated an empty suit, unqualified, failure who has performed worse than most of you expected. Deal with it.

daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/30/2012 @ 10:03 pm

DCSCA,

You sure are spending an awful lot of your valuable time worrying about the other party nominating ‘the wrong guy.’

Shakespeare. Protesth. Too much.

Elephant Stone (65d289) — 8/30/2012 @ 10:08 pm

Standard Mitt: Long on substance, short on style.

Ed from SFV (81526c) — 8/30/2012 @ 10:09 pm

obama needed a media behind him what doesn’t exist anymore

newsweek is dead and msnbc is a gruesome dykefest and nobody thinks katie couric is respectable anymore and everyone knows Anderson Cooper ain’t no thang but a promise as faded as his mommy’s jeans and Soledad is widely recognized as a bought and paid for whore and even Yahoo! News has outed itself as an obamawhore-infested amateur operation

the most potent new news outlet since last time round is TMZ Live and only cord-cutting trailer trash watch them

even Michael Moore seems fresh out of further tales of a fourth grade nothing

meanwhilst, Debbie’s DNC is plotting how cunningly they’ll answer Mr. Eastwood with… the musings of boy toy slut Eva Longoria

Mitt can give crappy speeches til the cows come him – he got this

happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/30/2012 @ 10:17 pm

“Mitt Romney is going to raise more money than Barack Obama,” [Michael] Moore said. “That should guarantee his victory. I think people should start to practice the words ‘President Romney.’ To assume that the other side are just a bunch of ignoramuses who are supported by people who believe that Adam and Eve rode on dinosaurs 6,000 years ago is to completely misjudge the opposition.”

Neo (d1c681) — 8/30/2012 @ 10:22 pm

Romney…350 +/-
Obama….185.
In 68 days, the American People select a new President;
75 days later, BHO will be “on the beach”.

AD-Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (2bb434) — 8/30/2012 @ 10:50 pm

i tweeted out a similar thought, but i will share it here.

there is only one measure of success in a convention speech. Its not “was it eloquent?” or “did it make Chris Matthews tingle?” There is only one metric that counts: does it make you vote the way they want you to.

In that sense, i think Christie and Romney’s were the best two speeches.

Eastwood was colorful. And Ann Romney humanized her husband in a meaningful way.

But Christie and Romney moved the needle in the election. Both men made very solid speeches convincing you that Romney should be president.

Christie did this by getting people to understand that we have to get serious about america’s problems and having a very flattering way of asking ppl to tighten their belts. his line about Seniors not being selfish was particularly effective. His speech was not flashy, but it was effective.

And Romney spent only a little time courting conservatives and spent the rest of the time winning over those who voted for Obama last night, giving them permission to abandon Obama for Romney. Romney has successfully fired up conservatives, and not he was reaching out to the middle not by pretending to be more moderate than he was, but by making a straight up play on the topic of competence.

I expect a substantial bounce. at least 5 points.

and i am really curious to see what other people think of the Eastwood thing, not republicans but moderates and even liberals. okay libs will say they hate it regardless, but…

for me i enjoyed it for the sheer weirdness of it all. but would it move the needle? doubt it, but stranger things have happened. I mean it might go viral and some of his points might prove persuasive.

Or just odd.

Aaron "Worthing" Walker (23789b) — 8/30/2012 @ 11:10 pm

i tweeted out a similar thought, but i will share it here.

there is only one measure of success in a convention speech. Its not “was it eloquent?” or “did it make Chris Matthews tingle?” There is only one metric that counts: does it make you vote the way they want you to.

In that sense, i think Christie and Romney’s were the best two speeches.

Eastwood was colorful. And Ann Romney humanized her husband in a meaningful way.

But Christie and Romney moved the needle in the election. Both men made very solid speeches convincing you that Romney should be president.

Christie did this by getting people to understand that we have to get serious about america’s problems and having a very flattering way of asking ppl to tighten their belts. his line about Seniors not being selfish was particularly effective. His speech was not flashy, but it was effective.

And Romney spent only a little time courting conservatives and spent the rest of the time winning over those who voted for Obama last night, giving them permission to abandon Obama for Romney. Romney has successfully fired up conservatives, and not he was reaching out to the middle not by pretending to be more moderate than he was, but by making a straight up play on the topic of competence.

I expect a substantial bounce. at least 5 points.

and i am really curious to see what other people think of the Eastwood thing, not republicans but moderates and even liberals. okay libs will say they hate it regardless, but…

for me i enjoyed it for the sheer weirdness of it all. but would it move the needle? doubt it, but stranger things have happened. I mean it might go viral and some of his points might prove persuasive.

Or just odd.

Aaron "Worthing" Walker (23789b) — 8/30/2012 @ 11:10 pm

Christie was meaner. Condi was leaner.
Y’all nominated the wrong guy.
Comment by DCSCA — 8/30/2012 @ 8:14 pm

— Y’all are a wiener.

Icy (4c63db) — 8/30/2012 @ 11:28 pm

Well… his hair helmet looks polished.
Comment by Leviticus — 8/30/2012 @ 8:06 pm

— We’ll take your word for it. Lord knows, you college kids are specialists in helmet-polishing.

Icy (4c63db) — 8/30/2012 @ 11:33 pm

Consider this. It doesn’t matter how the speech went tonight, no matter whether he sends a tingle up your leg or puts it to sleep. He’s what we have to work with. And he’s WAAAAY better than the other guy.

We’ve had almost four years of total incompetence. Here we have a guy with practical experience in getting things done. Let’s make sure he gets the chance to get those things done. I don’t know if we can survive four more years of feckless, reckless incompetence.

(I didn’t watch the speech tonight. In fact, I haven’t watched a convention (of either party) since Eisenhower in 1956. I don’t have the patience for it. And I have to watch my blood pressure. I think the lame stream media blather might cause me to pop a vessel. So I avoid it. I know which way I’m going to go long before election might. Guess I’m not much of a fence sitter. Our job now is to get the better man elected. And our guy is definitely the better guy.)

Bill M (2f7437) — 8/30/2012 @ 11:52 pm

4. 4.Mitt Romney, ten seconds later: “My job is to help you and your family.”

So much for that “government out of your life” bit.

Comment by Leviticus — 8/30/2012 @ 8:09 pm

It never occurs to you that getting government out of people’s lives would be precisely the way help a lot of individuals and families?

Some people and their families would have been helped a great deal if the DoJ hadn’t raided Gibson guitars and stolen their inventory to force them to settle. You can’t make their guitars without wood.

Or maybe the Delphi salaried retirees; they would have been better off if the Obama administration hadn’t hijacked what should have been a normal bankruptcy proceeding to screw them out of their pensions in order to pay off the unions.

How about energy companies and their employees? They’d tell you they’d be better off if the EPA’s attitude toward regulatory enforcement was to use it as a tool to crucify private business.

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/on-energy/2012/05/02/al-armendarizs-crucify-slip-reveals-epas-true-nature

There’s also a family in New York who inherited some art they can’t sell because it includes a stuffed bald eagle. It’s legal to inherit it, but a felony to sell it. So art appraisers value it at zero. But the IRS values it $65 million, and wants them to cough up $29 million in taxes to pay for a piece of art they can’t sell.

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/jul/22/tp-arts-sale-value-0-the-tax-bill-29m/

They want their money, even if you can’t get yours.

Or, getting back to the EPA, how’d you like them in your life, issuing you a compliance order telling you to stop building on your own land when they declare it a wetland? And you can contest it, but you would have racked up fines of $32.5k a day as you had to wait for the EPA to get around filing the case. Which could take years.

Fortunately, the SCOTUS put a stop to the worst abuses.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-21/epa-enforcement-power-cut-by-u-s-high-court-in-wetlands-case.html

But the EPA still issues about 1,500 of these compliance orders a year, and all the SCOTUS case established is that you have the right to take them to court. You don’t have to wait for them to take you to court.

Expensive, still, and usually a complete money grab. I worked with a friend who was trying to build a house on the side of a mountain. In the desert. They declared it a wetland.

Even if there had been water around, there was no way for it to puddle up.

So, yeah, when I hear that Romney wants to help family that sure as hell does mean getting government out of your life.

Steve57 (40573d) — 8/31/2012 @ 12:05 am

Eastwood was a little slow.

Would have liked to see Jon Lovitz do his Tommy Flanagan, the Liar, routine as Obama. It would have worked on the first night.

PC14 (87cbf8) — 8/31/2012 @ 1:36 am

The hardest thing to overcome in this election will be “Obama’s gone, why bother to vote” complacency.

Hey! Vote for Romney even if you do live in Colorado.

(Now that is a very gay place, happyfeet, and the beefalo burgers are way overpriced.)

nk (875f57) — 8/31/2012 @ 2:11 am

Thank you, Mr. Eastwood.
Though there dissaprovin, Keep those doggies movin.
RAWHIDE

mg (44de53) — 8/31/2012 @ 3:10 am

I liked Rubio.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 8/31/2012 @ 5:52 am

Christie was meaner. Condi was leaner.
Y’all nominated the wrong guy.
Comment by DCSCA — 8/30/2012 @ 8:14 pm

– Y’all are a wiener.

Comment by Icy

Hey, DCSCA… Eff all y’all.

Colonel Sanders (ce9404) — 8/31/2012 @ 5:54 am

When asked how he would like his steak prepared, Mr. Eastwood responded, “Rip it’s horns off, wipe it’s ass and put it on the plate”.

mg (44de53) — 8/31/2012 @ 6:05 am

If Mitt was long on substance, short on style, I’m good with that. Look what 4 years of style and no substance has brought us…

the bhead (f98d8a) — 8/31/2012 @ 6:08 am

“We own this country. . . . It’s not politicians owning it. Politicians are employees of ours. . . . And when somebody does not do the job, you gotta let ‘em go.”

– Clint Eastwood

Colonel Haiku (ce9404) — 8/31/2012 @ 6:09 am

DRJ

How effective did you think romney’s speech was to the undecided?

EPWJ (2925ff) — 8/31/2012 @ 6:13 am

Romney had some great lines. I hope the campaign makes an ad that uses the one where Romney spoke to Obama voters and said (I’m paraphrasing) “You know there’s a problem when the best you felt about him was the day you voted for him.”

Wasn’t it Eastwood that said part of being a conservative is that you’re cautious and restrained? That’s easy to mistake for bland, until you need help or someone to depend on. Then it seems more like calm and steady than bland.

Still, I’d like to see Romney relax a little and not force a smile. I’m sure he’s been told to smile often, but I think he would look more genuine if he could be himself.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 8/31/2012 @ 6:22 am

EPWJ,

I think Romney’s speech was aimed at undecided voters and a series of one-liners that would resonate with them if they were watching.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 8/31/2012 @ 6:26 am

The reason I liked Rubio more than Romney isn’t just because Rubio is a more natural speaker. It’s also because Rubio isn’t afraid to articulate conservative beliefs. I think conservatives have a winning message and we shoot ourselves in the foot when we act like we have to repackage our ideas when presenting them to independents.

The best thing to me about this convention was how forceful the Hispanic speakers were in presenting their conservative beliefs. But, then again, I still think Hispanics are natural conservatives.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 8/31/2012 @ 6:33 am

I hope so – I liked the heal the earth line

EPWJ (2925ff) — 8/31/2012 @ 6:33 am

I was a little surprised to see how frail Eastwood looked to be, considering he was making such a cameo appearance, and I wonder if he/they tried to bite off a little too much.

But he is an American icon, who symbolizes “I am my own person, I will make my own choices, and no one is going to tell me what to do”. In one way his support of Romney “gives (some) people permission” to vote for him; “If Clint is voting for him, I guess it is not just stupid far-right wing nut-jobs voting for Romney after all”.

I was hoping he was going to tie in “Make my day” to the election, like “Make my day, and elect Mitt Romney as President”. That would have been better than trying to do the Obama routine I think, but I did like the line about whose idea was it to put terrorists on trial in NYC. And the Biden line.

I wonder what goes on inside of Biden’s mind (seriously). Does he see himself as a competent and respected statesman, given the responsibility of VP, prone to misstatements that are trivial, and so is the butt of jokes from the opposition, and it doesn’t count anyway because it is the opposition? Does he see himself as some others see him, a career politician who never distinguished himself but somehow became a darling of his state and a useful prop to a megalomaniac president?

MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/31/2012 @ 6:39 am

“Make my day, and elect Mitt Romney as President”

Really? That would have made me sad. Watching old stars unable to move past their one catchphrase is so uncomfortable. He is so much more- and more current- than that one thing.

MayBee (48f9d7) — 8/31/2012 @ 6:46 am

I think Rubio made the important point, from one with credibility, that America is not the cause of the world’s problems, or just another country, but that in America one finds freedom and opportunity like nowhere else. It’s just most Americans don’t realize it, they have nothing in their experience to compare.

I think to the degree that people want things to be “fair” (or what they think is fair), they see that the US is not perfect, and then buy into the idea that the main thing to do is to complain about all of the bad things since “America isn’t so great after all”. But they don’t realize that America is the best, and rather than tearing America down, the thing to do is work on correcting the mistakes to make America even better.

Even Iranian and Syrian protestors know this, and wonder why the US doesn’t come to their aid under a tyrant like they did to get rid of Saddam.

MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/31/2012 @ 6:48 am

You think so, MayBee? He didn’t look real current last night, and I think he floundered a bit trying to be.

I see your point, but with Eastwood I wouldn’t see it as not being able to move past his one catchphrase, but to make reference to an iconic and legendary line. Just about anyone who knows that line from Eastwood I think realizes he has long ago moved past that as his sole claim to fame, that he has had a great career even forgetting that all together.

If you brought in an aging Adam West to do a Batman line, I think that would be a better fit for what you are saying. Did you see Eastwood? The crowd wanted and enticed him to say the “Make my day” line, but it was just stand alone without any real reference to anything.

MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/31/2012 @ 6:55 am

http://twitchy.com/2012/08/31/set-your-phasers-to-stun-another-hollywood-lefty-cant-handle-the-rnc/

narciso (ee31f1) — 8/31/2012 @ 7:02 am

_____________________________________________

“If Clint is voting for him, I guess it is not just stupid far-right wing nut-jobs voting for Romney after all”.

It’s always refreshing to observe a person from popular culture (meaning mainly from show business) not being a typical ridiculous, usual-suspect liberal. But I also favor the idea that just because a person is a well-known celebrity doesn’t give him or her some special credibility in jabbering away about political issues. So I have mixed emotions about Eastwood being a featured speaker last night.

But I’m also bothered that the Republicans sometimes haven’t been strategically very adept at popularizing right-leaning philosophy, which can be helped by using the tools of pop culture.

I liked the opening of Eastwood’s speech the best:

I know what you are thinking. You are thinking, what’s a movie tradesman doing out here? You know they are all left wingers out there, left of Lenin. At least that is what people think. That is not really the case. There are a lot of conservative people, a lot of moderate people, Republicans, Democrats, in Hollywood. It is just that the conservative people by the nature of the word itself play closer to the vest. They do not go around hot dogging it.

^ In terms of playing “closer to the vest,” I’m guessing that Eastwood’s frustration at how ultra-liberal we (or certainly the White House) have become finally boiled over and prompted him to get involved. Or respond in a way that’s quite typical of all his colleagues in Hollywood who, unlike him, are of the left and love to spout off regularly about the issues. He’s also at the age where he probably feels he can speak his mind in a purely political setting.

I’d like to see the Democrats counter by having, for example, Cher or rapper Jay-Z be a major speaker at their convention.

Mark (88885c) — 8/31/2012 @ 7:14 am

_______________________________________________

set-your-phasers-to-stun-another-hollywood-lefty-cant-handle-the-rnc/

Wow, that’s a surprise. An actor who, unlike Clint Eastwood, is an arch-liberal. Even more surprising, he’s also gay.

Switching off the snark, I do wonder if there’s at least some biological connection between a person’s politics and his or her sexuality. Yea, there also exists a percentage of homosexuals who are of the right, but statistically far more of them — a huge majority of them — are of the left. That’s one characteristic that researchers have yet to delve into and study.

Mark (88885c) — 8/31/2012 @ 7:23 am

Mr. Eastwood is a myth-maker and very good at it.

I like his musical side much better than his gunslinger side.

Where was Rush to b*** about Million Dollar Baby and Letters From Iwo Jima, BTW?

nk (875f57) — 8/31/2012 @ 7:27 am

I always lie down on my left side for my DRE, Mark.

nk (875f57) — 8/31/2012 @ 7:28 am

And his reputation as one of the few decent guys in Hollywood is genuine and deserved.

nk (875f57) — 8/31/2012 @ 7:31 am

You think so, MayBee? He didn’t look real current last night, and I think he floundered a bit trying to be.

I know people who have worked for him. I’ve seen his movies. Yes, he’s current.

It was cute- and good- that someone in the audience coaxed that out of him. It made the audience happy. And it didn’t make me sad.

MayBee (48f9d7) — 8/31/2012 @ 7:35 am

@78 – I’ve said for years that if JFK came back, he’d fit perfectly into the modern Republican party, if not actually being to the right of a lot of the current establishment.

I haven’t had a chance to watch yesterday’s speeches yet, but I’ve read a lot of the commentary. So what if Romney is bland? We’ve had four years of the Rock Star president, and he’s so busy staying a Rock Star, he can’t be bothered to show up for work. (Not that I’d appreciate what he’d do at work, but at least I’d have some respect for the man for doing the job he was elected to.)

After the Rock Star, the bland manager who believes in doing his job sounds pretty good.

LibraryGryffon (06c781) — 8/31/2012 @ 7:36 am

Clint is far from just an “old washed up actor” as some even here are portraying him– or just a “tradesman” as he modestly called himself last night. He is a Hollywood powerhouse. In addition to being an actor he is a movie producer and director who has provided jobs and income for thousands of people both on screen and off. They know who they are and probably many of them are not Republicans. But hopefully, seeing him on stage, they got a little reminder last night about how business works everywhere and how jobs are created even in tinseltown.

Eva Longoria indeed.

elissa (ed98f9) — 8/31/2012 @ 7:44 am

________________________________________________

Is Obama so tone deaf — so arrogant and self-absorbed (and even flat-out dumb—post-era of Bush and Katrina) — that the following actually is occurring? It’s almost like you can’t make this s*** up.

abcnews.go.com: In a last-minute change of plans, Mitt Romney will head to visit storm-affected areas in New Orleans today, skipping a previously scheduled joint rally with running mate Paul Ryan in the battleground state of Virginia this afternoon.

A Romney aide told ABC News that Romney will “join Gov. Jindal and will meet with first responders, thank them for their work and see areas impacted by the storm in LaFitte, La.”

The White House has not announced any plans to visit the storm area.

Mark (88885c) — 8/31/2012 @ 7:59 am

elissa, Exactly.

mg (44de53) — 8/31/2012 @ 8:04 am

“old washed up actor”

If people thought that is what I was saying, I wasn’t.

But don’t you agree that his physical presence and demeanor, even how the hair on the back of his head stood up, did not portray the intimidating presence of probably just a few years ago? The man on the screen last night would not have been able to make Gran Torino, I believe.

He is a legendary presence with a legendary career, but I thought he could have played it better sticking to straight forward remarks than doing the Obama in a chair thing, it looked like he was groping for words. Had it been Jimmy Stewart groping for words, it would have fit. but it was Clint groping for words. He doesn’t grope for words. he may not say many, but that’s because he doesn’t have to.

It was cute- and good- that someone in the audience coaxed that out of him. It made the audience happy. And it didn’t make me sad.
Comment by MayBee — 8/31/2012 @ 7:35 am

Then I’m not sure where the disagreement is. All I was suggesting was that when he acknowledged the audience’s request, that he tacked on, “and elect Mitt Romney as President in November”. I thought it would have been natural.

He’s not an old washed up actor, but the man last night looked more like the part for a meaningful “cameo role”, and I thought they pushed a bit.

The baseball analogy, for those inclined, was in the World Series years ago when Kirk Gibson went in to pinch hit for the Dodgers. He limped so bad he almost needed crutches to get to the plate, and he hit a home run to win the series. It was legendary. Had he struck out, or hit a ball and was thrown out at first, no one could have blamed him for the Dodgers loss, but it wouldn’t have been a high point. What Clint did last night was not a strike out, I just don’t think it was a home run, when we would have liked to have seen one.

MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/31/2012 @ 8:23 am

I’m glad it’s over and everyone can have a great holiday weekend except for the people what got hurricaned

happyfeet (3c92a1) — 8/31/2012 @ 8:32 am

MD–Do I wish Eastwood still was and looked 50 again? Sure. Do I wish I looked 30 again? Sure. But it’s not possible. By your criteria it’s a darn good thing they didn’t drag in poor Nancy Reagan. Boy, I bet she would have looked old and frail!

elissa (ed98f9) — 8/31/2012 @ 8:34 am

Comment by elissa — 8/31/2012 @ 8:34 am

I think you people are not understanding my point. My grandmother at 92 was living on her own and mowing her own lawn with a 40 yo Toro electric lawnmower. By 99 she was frail and it was a chore for her to walk down the hall. It happens.

I was expecting to see Eastwood as I had last recently (within a few years) seen him, looking old but with the same determined voice and look. His voice and look did not have the edge it did just a few years ago. That fellow holding a gun last night would not have been the guy holding a gun in Gran Torino, is all I am saying.

Look, one day I looked in the mirror and asked, “How the heck did I get all of that grey hair and turn 50? I’m no longer the person “just recently in college”, how did that happen”?

So I ask you, did you think Eastwood was as full of energy and strength as 5 years ago?

MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/31/2012 @ 8:41 am

elissa – Nancy could have done a horoscope for Barky.

daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/31/2012 @ 8:47 am

==So I ask you, did you think Eastwood was as full of energy and strength as 5 years ago?==

Of course not. But I do not see why it seems to be such a big deal to you. He was not there on stage to be Dirty Harry. He was there as a beloved Hollywood legend and financial powerhouse to show that not all of Hollywood are nutso America hating liberals. He was there to maybe draw some new eyeballs to the important Rubio-Romney speech hour. He was there to poke fun and mock President Obama in a way that no Republican politician who is running for office dares to, or can get quite away with.

Look, I’m not looking to argue with you. I just think you’re completely missing why he was given that assignment. The campaign team certainly already knew what he looks like and how old he is.

elissa (ed98f9) — 8/31/2012 @ 8:57 am

Comment by elissa — 8/31/2012 @ 8:57 am

You’re not looking to argue with me, but you think I’m completely missing it. 😉

I know why he was there. I thought it was a great idea. I just mentioned that I was surprised by how he looked compared to when I last saw him, and I think he was stretched a bit too much for an A+ performance is all.

MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/31/2012 @ 9:03 am

MD Sammy in Philly – This is fascinating. 🙂

daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/31/2012 @ 9:24 am

I don’t know Mr. Eastwood and have no idea of what his health and condition are. I suggest, though, that what we saw last night was a performance: grumpy old man telling it like he sees it. There was nothing you saw that was not part of the act, from the cowlick to the slow word choices down to the spit-shined shoes. Complete and perfect. People have wanted Romney to go after Obama like that; it’s better for a surrogate to do so, and there are few others who could have pulled off the performance last night.

The image and tweet afterwards from Obama? Proof that Eastwood hit him, center of the X-ring. Didn’t even radiate out a crack to break that ring. Dead center.

htom (412a17) — 8/31/2012 @ 9:46 am

Comment by Simon Jester — 8/30/2012 @ 8:20 pm

Finally, consider this. POTUS actually said, with cameras rolling, that his election signaled the freaking healing of the planet.

He said that when he clinched the Democratic nomination in June 2008. That was far more memorable than his acceptance speech at the convention. Today, the Wall Street Joiurnal editorial page mistakenly said that he said that inaugural address!

(In the editorial about Janesville. I didn’t know Obama visited the plant twice that year, once in February and the second time in October. If Ryan hadn’t wanted to be so cute, everyone would have known what he was talking about. They should at least have had a press release ready explaining that comment. Or written it afterwards. Instead they let the Obama campaign mislead people and have everybody try to research this thing, and fail. See, I know that needs explanation)

Sammy Finkelman (d22d64) — 8/31/2012 @ 10:35 am

Gee, Sammy, I gave you the Buzzfeed link with video.
but forget all that.

narciso (ee31f1) — 8/31/2012 @ 10:40 am

Imagery.

Clint’s empty chair will sit next to Ryan’s faded poster for the duration of the campaign.

elissa (ed98f9) — 8/31/2012 @ 10:42 am

* Today, the Wall Street Journal editorial page mistakenly said that he (Obama) said that at his inaugural address!

If we can’t remember where this was said, they’ll eventually accuse people of making it up. It was after the November election. It wasn’t in his inaugural address. It wasn’t in his nomination acceptance speech. It was on June 3, 2008, on the last day of the primaries when superdelegates – and split results in Montana and South Dakota, pushed him ove rthe top and Hillary Clinton conmceded or was going to:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/03/us/politics/03text-obama.html?pagewanted=all

….generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless…

(APPLAUSE)

… this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal…

(APPLAUSE)

… this was the moment when we ended a war, and secured our nation, and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth.

(APPLAUSE)

This was the moment, this was the time when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves and our highest ideals.

That phrase “when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal”

I remember it vividly. I was outside, I heard it on the radio.

Sammy Finkelman (d22d64) — 8/31/2012 @ 10:45 am

_____________________________________________

… this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal…

I remember that because Barry, when it comes to his environmentalism, couldn’t so something as relatively easy, simple and pain-free as driving around in a fuel-efficient vehicle. No, he couldn’t make such a cruel, horrible sacrifice like that. Instead he had to cruise around in an SUV, as he was doing at least right before he started his bid for the presidency in 2008.

His green-earth sincerity is about as meaningful as his compassion, best exemplified by his choosing to visit storm-ravaged Louisiana only after being one-upped by Romney’s scheduled trip there.

Mark (88885c) — 8/31/2012 @ 11:02 am

“Instead they let the Obama campaign mislead people and have everybody try to research this thing, and fail.”

Sammy – No, the media let the Obama campaign do their fact checking for them instead of doing any work themselves, which explains the uniformity of liberal media shrieks and mistakes yesterday.

daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/31/2012 @ 11:06 am

Oh just face it everybody, the elitist wealthy Obama family, with their designer clothes, luxury vacations, endless rounds of golf, private schools and personal chefs, just connects better with ordinary Americans than those well-grounded Romneys.

daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/31/2012 @ 11:13 am

Re: Clint Eastwood:

One thing Clint Eastwood got right:

I remember three and a half years ago, when Mr. Obama won the election

Actually now, it’s 3 and 3/4 years, but he’s not exaggerating.

My television was cutting in and out – it would very regularly cut out for a fraction of a second, on all stations, thos eit could get.

I didn’t catch all of that, and missed the beginning too.

I think Mr. Romney asked the only
sensible question, you know, he says, “Why are you giving the date out now? Why don’t you just bring them home tomorrow morning?”

Did Romney say that???

Is Clinton Eastwood against the war in Afghanistan? That’s almost Ron Paul’s position.
He actually even looked like Ron Paul. I thought maybe Ron Paul was speaking. Well, he didn’t look exactly like Ron Paul. I thought Clint Eastwood was scheduled after Marco Rubio.

I heard:

What do you want me to tell Romney?

And then:

I can’t tell him to do that.

I thought for a second he was talking to Bo Snerdly, like Rush Limbaugh does. Or pretending to.

It sounded like:

Snerdly: “If you want Romney to withdraw from Afghanistan, then tell him that.”

And then Clint Eastwood saying “I can’t tell him to do that.”

I didn’t like the fact that Clint Eastwood was making Barack Obama out to be using foul language (like Biden)

Sammy Finkelman (d22d64) — 8/31/2012 @ 11:29 am

Clint Eastwood

Also to Snerdly? I am not going to shut
up, it is my turn.

Miott Romney did run late past 11 PM

See, I never thought it was a good idea for attorneys to the president, anyway.

Doesn’t Clint Eastwood know that Mitt Romney is ALSO an attorney?

Or are they hiding that from the voters?

(Paul Ryan is not an attorney)

that you’re the best in the world.

Doesn’t he mean supposed to be the best in the world?

Sammy Finkelman (d22d64) — 8/31/2012 @ 11:32 am

Oh, I don’t know. I mean, WHO among us has never been in a position where we were so desperately hungry that we sacrificed all sense of morality & common decency and ate a dog.

Icy (4c63db) — 8/31/2012 @ 11:32 am

Sammy – Do you know if President Obama’s illegal immigrant Aunt Teuti and Uncle Omar will be attending the Democrat Convention?

daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/31/2012 @ 11:33 am

151. I think they are still in the country, and have been given some form of status, which drunk driving cannot remove.. It’s worth researching. He won’t show them off, I think, until and unless Congress passes some kind of bill that includes them.

Sammy Finkelman (2ae267) — 8/31/2012 @ 11:57 am

Or his brother George?

AD-Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (b8ab92) — 8/31/2012 @ 12:01 pm

Narciso: Gee, Sammy, I gave you the Buzzfeed link with video.

You can’t get video on all computers. The connection must be fast enough. Or the computer fast enough.

Sammy Finkelman (2ae267) — 8/31/2012 @ 12:03 pm

But don’t you agree that his physical presence and demeanor, even how the hair on the back of his head stood up, did not portray the intimidating presence of probably just a few years ago? The man on the screen last night would not have been able to make Gran Torino, I believe.

Comment by MD in Philly — 8/31/2012 @ 8:23 am

I think you’re missing the point, Doc. He’s an actor. He didn’t give a speech last night as much as a one-man stage show. The delivery and appearance were deliberate.

Steve57 (40573d) — 8/31/2012 @ 12:11 pm

149. See, I never thought it was a good idea for attorneys to the president, anyway.

Doesn’t Clint Eastwood know that Mitt Romney is ALSO an attorney?

Or are they hiding that from the voters?

(Paul Ryan is not an attorney)

Comment by Sammy Finkelman — 8/31/2012 @ 11:32 am

He’s not an attorney. He’s never worked as an attorney.

Would you like to tell me where in the world he ever had a license to practice law, Sammy?

He has a joint legal and business education, Sammy. That doesn’t make you an attorney, in case the distinction evades you.

And, no, they’re not hiding it from the voters. That’s how I know.

Steve57 (40573d) — 8/31/2012 @ 12:20 pm

148. I didn’t like the fact that Clint Eastwood was making Barack Obama out to be using foul language (like Biden)

Comment by Sammy Finkelman — 8/31/2012 @ 11:29 am

Then you don’t like facts. Obama does use foul language; he’s tried to cultivate an image as a trash -alking basketball player since high school. Of course, back in high school he was using lots of other things other than just foul language.

Yeah, it’s real hard that some guy who actually flips his opponents the bird would use foul language, I know. But deal with it.

One of the nuggets from the latest Politico e-book about the Obama campaign:

…Obama’s trash-talking competitiveness, a trait that has defined him since his days on the court as a basketball-obsessed teenager in Hawaii, was on display one night last February, when the president spotted a woman he knew was close to Sen. Marco Rubio in a Florida hotel lobby. “Is your boy going to go for [vice president]?” the president asked her. Maybe, she replied.

“Well,” he said, chuckling, according to a person who witnessed the encounter. “Tell your boy to watch it. He might get his ass kicked.”…

The report in the Tampa Bay Times goes in to where Obama was staying and who the unidentified woman most likely was.

Steve57 (40573d) — 8/31/2012 @ 12:28 pm

“Actually now, it’s 3 and 3/4 years, but he’s not exaggerating.”

EASTWOOD LIES!!!!!!!!!

daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/31/2012 @ 12:28 pm

htom:

People have wanted Romney to go after Obama like that; it’s better for a surrogate to do so, and there are few others who could have pulled off the performance last night.

The image and tweet afterwards from Obama? Proof that Eastwood hit him, center of the X-ring. Didn’t even radiate out a crack to break that ring. Dead center.

Comment by htom — 8/31/2012 @ 9:46 am

I completely agree. I can’t say for certain if the Romney campaign intended to use Eastwood to taunt Obama or if (as Ann Romney said today) it was an unscripted ad lib by Eastwood. We know it was planned by Eastwood, and doesn’t it seem exactly like something he would do? Who better than Clint Eastwood to ridicule Obama and figuratively get in his face (or empty place)?

Frankly, I suspect it was also planned by the Romney campaign — not only because every moment of the convention seemed planned (much like the Salt Lake City Olympics) but also because this isn’t the first time the Romney campaign has tweaked Obama.

It’s amazing to me how ridiculing Obama seems to work every time, proving how thin-skinned Obama is and also that his advisers don’t have much control over him or his campaign. Of course, I guess that isn’t a surprise since he thinks he’s better at campaigning than any of his advisers.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 8/31/2012 @ 12:38 pm

And DRJ? He might actually be better at campaigning than his advisors. Hee hee.

Simon Jester (c8876d) — 8/31/2012 @ 12:41 pm

I’d never thought of that, Simon, but it makes sense that they could be as incompetent at campaigning as they are at governing.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 8/31/2012 @ 12:43 pm

MD Sammy in Philly – This is fascinating. 🙂

Help me, I’m lost, unless you are saying the non-brevity of my posting is nearing that of Sammy’s.

Well, perhaps my perspective on Eastwood was wrong. To some degree I brought it up as a point of observation for discussion, not making a claim that he was washed up and over the hill.

Rush said that if you saw the stage /podium from the correct angle that you could see a teleprompter in front of the chair.

MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/31/2012 @ 12:46 pm

MD in Philly,

Part of the reason the Eastwood segment worked is that Eastwood didn’t seem as intimidating as he has in the past. The Eastwood from Dirty Harry or even Gran Torino days couldn’t have done this without being labeled racist or threatening. However, an older, rambling, grandfatherly Eastwood could ridicule Obama — and make it hard for Obama to respond without seeming like he’s pushing granddad over the cliff.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 8/31/2012 @ 12:49 pm

Or his brother George?
Comment by AD-Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! — 8/31/2012 @ 12:01 pm

George recently had some health problems, apparently, and called Dinesh D’Souza for help to pay for it.

D’Souza interviewed him in the movie Obama 2016.

MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/31/2012 @ 12:51 pm

Comment by DRJ — 8/31/2012 @ 12:49 pm

Maybe so, DRJ, but people will find what they want to look for. He is an icon, powerful, wealthy, influential. Old or not he can be attacked as a racist. Old or not he would be expected to need to handle it.
My biggest concern was that he looked too rambling to the point that detractors could say that in his old age he was “losing it” and being “used” by the Repubs. I mean, all of the Obama fans will need to find a way to attack him, discount him, and write him off, won’t they?
But others more knowing than I have said it was all as planned. I thought his using the “that’s impossible to do” line twice showed a little bit of groping for ideas.
And I thought that if he was on the top of his game it would have been pretty obvious, natural, and crowd rousing to add “and elect Mitt Romney as President” on the need of the “Make my day” cheer.

MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/31/2012 @ 1:00 pm

If I didn’t make it clear above, MD, I also assume that Eastwood’s appearance and rambling were part of the act. His timing was too good and his serious moments were too effective for him to be as grandfatherly as he seemed.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 8/31/2012 @ 1:02 pm

IMO Eastwood wasn’t there as a celebrity to tell people to vote for Mitt, MD. He was there to reassure independents, excite the base and ridicule Obama.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 8/31/2012 @ 1:04 pm

@165

Doc, the Obama shills are going to say whatever they need to say regardless.

I don’t know how many people saw Eastwood’s performance, but all he’d need to do is give some sort of interview. I’m sure he’s in demand. He still gives very articulate interviews, and anyone who saw it would conclude the Obamabots were lying. Again.

In any case, there’s really no downside. Eastood wasn’t there to appeal to the folks in the Democratic-media complex. If they go after Eastwood, it will be counterproductive.

Steve57 (40573d) — 8/31/2012 @ 1:12 pm

MD,

Eastwood has looked like this since last year when he did an interview about the movie J. Edgar. It’s possible Eastwood has declined in the past year or that he was tired and it affected his speech, but my guess is he’s probably still as mentally alert and well-spoken now as he was last year. If so, that suggests his portrayal last night was planned.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 8/31/2012 @ 1:13 pm

MD in Philly — Reality is that actors act (well, everyone acts, all the world’s a stage … actors are self-aware of, and intentional in, their acting.) The only question is “Which role are they playing?”

DRJ — Yes. Any snark at Eastwood comes off as “sassing your great grand-pa”, and he doesn’t have the stones to do that. 0 must be just boiling today, especially having to go visit the hurricane damage. Somewhere I saw this “talk about being inside someone’s OODA Loop!”

Romney team — Don’t get cocky!

htom (412a17) — 8/31/2012 @ 1:14 pm

Eastwood has two teenage daughters at home, according to this 2010 interview with Ellen Degeneres.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 8/31/2012 @ 1:21 pm

I guess that’s not really really relevant to this conversation, except that having 2 teenagers keeps a parent young. Or it makes you age really fast!

DRJ (a83b8b) — 8/31/2012 @ 1:27 pm

Eastwood as director has made $1.3 billion according to Box Office Mojo. That’s an awful lot of business. It’s also an awful lot of time spent in the worst part of the liberal hive. How often has he had to bite his tongue in a meeting on the Warner’s lot or at Morton’s, when some greasy Ivy League development exec cracks wise about stooopid Republicans? If he wants to come out and be nasty about it, good. Say whatever you want, Thunderbolt. It’s great to see him burning the Bridges of Madison County behind him.

Birdbath (716828) — 8/31/2012 @ 1:57 pm

“By your criteria it’s a darn good thing they didn’t drag in poor Nancy Reagan. Boy, I bet she would have looked old and frail!”

– elissa

I think that’s more or less what MD is saying, yeah.

Leviticus (300e0a) — 8/31/2012 @ 1:57 pm

DRJ, what interview are you talking about? Clint Eastwood gave an interview about J.Edgar on the Daily Show last November (you have to search for his name among the guests as the link will take you to the most recent guest; just scroll down the page for that function). He was focused and articulate. There was the occasional “umm” or “uhh” as he searched for the right word, but certainly no more often than Jon Stewart. And there was definitely much less of that than comes out of the mouth of our rambling, inarticulate current President when he speaks off-teleprompter.

Clint Eastwood isn’t so off his game he’d screw up a toast to Queen Elizabeth.

Steve57 (40573d) — 8/31/2012 @ 2:03 pm

I’m reminded of an anecdote that Burt Reynolds used to tell about the day that both he a Clint were let-go by Warner’s/Paramount/whatever….
They told Clint his Adam’s-Apple was too big, and Burt that he couldn’t act, and Burt turned to Clint and said: Well, I can always learn to act, but you need surgery big-time.
So, we know Clint can act.

AD-Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (b8ab92) — 8/31/2012 @ 2:06 pm

Steve57,

Apparently my copying abilities leave something to be desired. Here’s what I intended to link in my comment @1:13 PM.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 8/31/2012 @ 2:07 pm

162. Rush said that if you saw the stage /podium from the correct angle that you could see a teleprompter in front of the chair.

Comment by MD in Philly — 8/31/2012 @ 12:46 pm

Do they reconfigure the stage for each person? Was the teleprompter there for the previous speaker, and did they move things around for the speaker that followed Eastwood?

It wouldn’t surprise me if there was a teleprompter on stage (or usually two) when this many people are speaking:

Remarks by U.S. Rep. Connie Mack (FL)

Reagan Legacy Video

Remarks by Newt and Callista Gingrich

Remarks by Craig Romney

8:00 p.m. Remarks by Governor former Jeb Bush (FL)

Remarks by Bob White, chairman of Romney for President campaign

Remarks by Grant Bennett

Remarks by Tom Stemberg

9:00 p.m. Remarks by former Massachusetts Lt. Governor Kerry Healey

Remarks by Jane Edmonds, former Massachusetts Secretary of Workforce (Democrat who’s going to sing Romney’s praises)

Remarks by Olympians Michael Eruzione, Derek Parra and Kim Rhode

Remarks by ~MYSTERY SPEAKER~

10:00 p.m. Remarks by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (FL)

Remarks by presidential nominee Mitt Romney

But it wouldn’t necessarily mean Eastwood was using it. It was a pretty tight schedule, and I don’t know if they’d remove the teleprompters to accommodate those who weren’t going to use them then replace them for those who were.

Steve57 (40573d) — 8/31/2012 @ 2:11 pm

The interpretation Steve57, is that the ‘prompter was there for the empty-suit, in the empty-chair, to use. It’s called a “stage prop”.

AD-Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (b8ab92) — 8/31/2012 @ 2:18 pm

“Help me, I’m lost, unless you are saying the non-brevity of my posting is nearing that of Sammy’s.”

MD in Philly – Absolutely not, merely the perseveration. 🙂

daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/31/2012 @ 2:27 pm

I’m going way off-topic so I’ll stop after this comment, but in a 2005 Eastwood interview at the Actor’s Studio (beginning at 31:00), he said his role in Dirty Harry came after Paul Newman turned down the role because he (Newman) didn’t like the politics in the script. Eastwood said he agreed to read the script for that reason — implying that if Newman didn’t like the politics, he might … and he did. Not only did Eastwood like the character’s attitude, he also liked the focus on crime victims as opposed to criminals.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 8/31/2012 @ 2:28 pm

Some people are saying the Eastwood thing was a riff on the old Jimmy Stewart Harvey invisible rabbit–which is one of my all time fav movies.

Most others say they it was clearly a take-off on old Morey Amsterdam Bob Newhart improv comedy. (Anyone here old enough to remember Newhart’s classic “driving instructor”?)

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-clint-eastwood-empty-chair-routine-came-from-newhart-amsterdam-20120831,0,2593141.story

elissa (ed98f9) — 8/31/2012 @ 2:38 pm

MD in Philly – I thought Eastwood’s mockery of Obama was great and echoed back to actual Obama behavior.

Eastwood – What, you want me to shut up? I’m not going to do that, it’s my turn.

Obama on the Stimulus Bill – I won

Obama on various other bills – I don’t want any advice from the people who drove the car into the ditch.

Eastwood – I can’t do that, that’s impossible.
Obama – Giving the middle finger to various people during the 2008 campaign by rubbing it along his nose and later pretending he was doing nothing.

daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/31/2012 @ 2:40 pm

elissa,

Great link, not only because I love Newhart but also for this introduction to the ‘Driving Instructor’ skit —

“This is true, absolutely. I once worked for the Illinois State Unemployment Compensation Board. At that time we got $65 a week and the claimants got $55 a week. This is true. True. And they only had to come in one day a week. It took me a couple of days to figure that out. Whoa! These guys are onto something.”

A metaphor for our times.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 8/31/2012 @ 2:56 pm

Peche a la Frog.

daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 8/31/2012 @ 3:01 pm

Another Eastwood zinger (paraphrasing):

You spent us $5Trillion further into the hole, and 3-million more people are out of work…
You call that a plan?

If they had given each of those 3-million people $100K, it would only have cost $300B; but then a lot of PE union members might have been forced to go on that dole for less than they are being paid for working (courtesy of ARRA).

This is just too upsetting.

AD-Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (b8ab92) — 8/31/2012 @ 3:05 pm

I hereby stop my perseveration. The case has been made that any “old man feebleness” was part of the act.

except that having 2 teenagers keeps a parent young. Or it makes you age really fast!
Comment by DRJ — 8/31/2012 @ 1:27 pm

God bless both my boys and I love them, but it was the latter.

MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 8/31/2012 @ 3:19 pm

If I didn’t make it clear above, MD, I also assume that Eastwood’s appearance and rambling were part of the act. His timing was too good and his serious moments were too effective for him to be as grandfatherly as he seemed.

Comment by DRJ — 8/31/2012 @ 1:02 pm

Learned how to do that a year or two ouside law school, DRJ. Helped that I was in face-to-face emnployment for ten years before that.

Trying to teach my daughter, how to talk to people. Know words, stand up straight, make eye contact, smile with your eyes. Helps if you’re tall, with nice hair

nk (875f57) — 8/31/2012 @ 3:26 pm

“Know words, use them little”

nk (875f57) — 8/31/2012 @ 3:32 pm

My daughter wants to know why an Illuminati symbol is on the dollar bill. Explanations welcome.

(No cut and paste by Sammy, please.)

nk (875f57) — 8/31/2012 @ 5:37 pm

http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/whatmeworryobama.png

Colonel Haiku (71375e) — 8/31/2012 @ 5:40 pm

nk,

Check out the Philadelphia Fed website, especially pages 7-9 at this link:

This all changed one day in 1934 when Secretary of Agriculture (and later vice president) Henry Wallace was waiting to go into a meeting. He picked up a publication describing the Great Seal and focused on the Latin phrase “Novus Ordo Seclorum,” which we know was intended to mean “A New Order of the Ages.” But Secretary Wallace interpreted it slightly differently and could not wait to bring to the attention of President Franklin Roosevelt the Great Seal with its message as he understood it: “The New Deal
of the Ages.”

As Freemasons, both Roosevelt and Wallace saw the symbol above the pyramid as representing the “all-seeing eye,” the Masonic symbol of the Great Architect of the Universe. President Roosevelt liked Wallace’s idea very much — so much so, in fact, that he decided to replace the design on the reverse of our $1 bills with something more symbolic and patriotic: the Great Seal of the United States.

The link says that, prior to FDR’s tenure, the pyramid and eye were viewed as symbols of strength and providence.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 8/31/2012 @ 5:58 pm

The only one I see confused and rambling is Finkelman.

SPQR (7b6129) — 8/31/2012 @ 6:17 pm

Thank You,DRJ.

nk’s daughter.

nk (875f57) — 8/31/2012 @ 7:04 pm

nk’s daughter,

You’re welcome. It sounds like you and your father talk about a lot of interesting things.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 8/31/2012 @ 8:53 pm

nk’s daughter, I know nk is a character, but I get a kick out of him. Nice to have you drop by.

SPQR (26be8b) — 8/31/2012 @ 8:56 pm

179. The interpretation Steve57, is that the ‘prompter was there for the empty-suit, in the empty-chair, to use. It’s called a “stage prop”.

Comment by AD-Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! — 8/31/2012 @ 2:18 pm

AD, I probably didn’t get the subtlety because, if you watch this video, at several points you can see their are two teleprompters. One on each side of the podium. Where they had been placed and remained throughout the convention.

So while I got the fact Eastwood was using the chair as a prop, it seemed to me he was just dealing with the stage he had to work with. Now, had they removed the teleprompter on the other side of the podium and faced it prominently right in front of the empty chair, I think I’d have picked up on it.

Instead of remaining convinced Eastwood was just doing an unrehearsed piece of performance art, on a stage that had been configured and remained configured for political speeches.

Eastwood finishes his performance art, and as he walks off you hear the MC announce “we would like to welcome…” as she introduces the next speaker.

It just strikes me the existence and placement of teleprompters was merely part of the terrain Eastwood was dealing with. It didn’t strike me as if he was using them for props.

Steve57 (40573d) — 8/31/2012 @ 10:41 pm

removed the teleprompter on the other side of the podium and faced it prominently right in front of the empty chair, I think I’d have picked up on it.

That should read:

removed the teleprompter on the other side of the podium and faced it the remaining one prominently right in front of the empty chair, I think I’d have picked up on it.

Steve57 (40573d) — 8/31/2012 @ 10:42 pm

Steve57 — I didn’t get that part at first either, not seeing the teleprompter at all.

htom (412a17) — 8/31/2012 @ 11:03 pm

Festus not Chester, I hope, SPQR?

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 4:24 am

I think that we should embrace Eastwood’s speech. Who cares that nobody at the convention made sure that a speaker aired during prime time coverage on the most prominent night of the convention knew what he was doing. That type of glaring oversight surely isn’t a sign of things to come if Romney is elected. We built it!

Jeffrey Diamond returns (8d75f7) — 9/1/2012 @ 4:40 am

Had a professor named Shari Diamond. Worthless, skinny, nasty, [insulting epithet censored]. Hiya, Shari, ever get any?

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 4:52 am

The time honored conservative tradition of asking about someone’s sex life. Mine is great. Yours?

Jeffrey Diamond returns (8d75f7) — 9/1/2012 @ 5:21 am

Ask Jason Biggs about that,

narciso (ee31f1) — 9/1/2012 @ 6:30 am

The time-honored tradition of Jeff Dimond being a liar.

JD (346b99) — 9/1/2012 @ 6:36 am

Or Randi Rhodes or Bill Maher, or what have you,

narciso (ee31f1) — 9/1/2012 @ 6:48 am

Re: Eastwood’s TelePrompTer, the convention’s YouTube channel (gopconvention2012) shows the teleprompters were set up the same for Eastwood’s speech as they were for all the speakers.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 9/1/2012 @ 6:58 am

Here is a link to the 2012 GOP Convention’s YouTube channel. Click on “Videos” in the horizontal bar at the top.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 9/1/2012 @ 7:30 am

Our old friend, Glenn Kessler is at again;

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/misinformation-is-the-norm-for-political-conventions/2012/08/31/8af237ca-f39f-11e1-892d-bc92fee603a7_allCo

narciso (ee31f1) — 9/1/2012 @ 8:04 am

nk, she didn’t teach at Loyola of LA too?

SPQR (26be8b) — 9/1/2012 @ 8:04 am

“The president has not disappointed you because he wanted to. The president has disappointed America because he hasn’t led America in the right direction. He took office without the basic qualification that most Americans have, and one that was essential to the task at hand. He had almost no experience working in a business. Jobs to him are about government. I learned the real lessons from how America works from experience.”

– Mitt Romney, August 30, 2012

Colonel Haiku (c74636) — 9/1/2012 @ 8:20 am

RON RADOSH: The RNC Convention Speech You May Have Missed, and Why it is So Important for Americans to Hear.

“The speech that should have been seen by most TV viewers of the RNC 2012 convention — but which most of the viewers at home did not see — was the little noticed yet important testimony of Jane Edmonds, Mitt Romney’s Secretary of the Workforce when he was Governor of Massachusetts. Coming before Clint Eastwood, Marco Rubio and Romney himself, it is not surprising that it was missed. But if you flipped channels, most networks — regrettably, even including Fox News — decided instead to give its viewers the wisdom of its panel of pundits.

Edmonds, viewers at home would have found, is an African-American woman, who proudly called herself a “liberal Democrat.” In a strong and firm voice, Edmonds told the delegates and those who did watch her speech, that the Romney she got to know well when he was Governor was a supporter of women, appointing them to high positions in his administration. Moreover, she noted that Romney was a bold, strong administrator, who worked hard on behalf of the people he represented.
Advertisement

“The late Stephen Covey,” Edmonds said, “writes about 2 kinds of people: one type is all about themselves and their success. The other type works as hard as they can — and certainly succeeds, but their success is motivated by doing good for others. That’s how I see Governor Romney. He is authentic.”

Her very presence as a supporter of Romney for President indicated that even a self-proclaimed liberal who is also an African-American and a woman can unashamedly and publicly give her support to Romney’s campaign, undercuts the Democratic narrative in one fell swoop. It is not surprising that a network like MSNBC would choose not to broadcast her short moment in the program, but that most including Fox News did the same is inexcusable.”

http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/149857/

Colonel Haiku (c74636) — 9/1/2012 @ 8:27 am

____________________________________________

Edmonds, viewers at home would have found, is an African-American woman, who proudly called herself a “liberal Democrat.”

That’s interesting, and I’m glad you posted that bit of info since I’d otherwise not have known of her appearance at the convention. I’m only aware of the non-political folks from Romney’s history who spoke this week about how generous and helpful he is in private.

I wonder what bothers a typical member of the MSM more? A black liberal who says something good about a Republican — who’s generally of the right — or a black conservative (eg, Mia Love), period.

As each days goes by, the thought of a majority of the American electorate choosing to keep Obama in office becomes more and more outrageous and irresponsible, and nonsensically dogmatic, and, well, outright crazy.

Mark (88885c) — 9/1/2012 @ 9:13 am

207. Re: Eastwood’s TelePrompTer, the convention’s YouTube channel (gopconvention2012) shows the teleprompters were set up the same for Eastwood’s speech as they were for all the speakers.

Comment by DRJ — 9/1/2012 @ 6:58 am

Thanks for observing that, DRJ, and for the link.

I noticed nothing unusual, either, about the stage set-up for Eastwood’s speech. Except for the chair. Which is why I’m still convinced the chair was the only intentional prop for his skit.

Much as I love Rush, and all, he’s still only right 99.9% of the time…

Steve57 (40573d) — 9/1/2012 @ 9:19 am

The time honored conservative tradition of asking about someone’s sex life. Mine is great. Yours?
Comment by Jeffrey Diamond returns — 9/1/2012 @ 5:21 am

— No one asked about your sex life, narcissist.

Icy (338973) — 9/1/2012 @ 9:37 am

I think that we should embrace Eastwood’s speech.
Comment by Jeffrey Diamond returns — 9/1/2012 @ 4:40 am

— I think we should analyze why you libs are positively apoplectic that he even showed up, let alone did an onstage routine.

Icy (338973) — 9/1/2012 @ 9:41 am

Diamond should know that his fellow douchebag Bill Maher thinks Clint Eastwood nailed it.

Colonel Haiku (c74636) — 9/1/2012 @ 9:50 am

iowahawkblog: “Ellen Barkin’s ex-husband Ron Perelman paid $20 million to get rid of her. This is now known as The Bargain of the Century.”

lol

Colonel Haiku (c74636) — 9/1/2012 @ 9:53 am

The time honored conservative tradition of asking about someone’s sex life. Mine is great. Yours?
Comment by Jeffrey Diamond returns — 9/1/2012 @ 5:21 am

Dang! Conservative? It was a conservative singles bars, with two “ladies” nights a week? No wonder I don’t get called back?

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 9:59 am

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blog,video,blogs,videos,encuestas,polls,eventos,events,conoce,gente,amigos,red social,social network (e8652c) — 9/1/2012 @ 10:55 am

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Top Golf Pro Tips (e2094b) — 9/1/2012 @ 12:14 pm

My daughter asked me, “What’s a redneck?” I said, “People with a permanent sunburn from working outside. I am one, too.”

We agreed that Georgians are “crackers”, and that Tennesseans, Arkasawnians, and West Virginians are “ridgerunners” …

but what are Texans?

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 3:30 pm

Hey, if you want to see a guy giving a lousy speech, watch this one.

This description of the speech is spot on:

Obama speech to soldiers met with silence

President Barack Obama was greeted with fleeting applause and extended periods of silence as he offered profuse praise to soldiers and their families during an Aug. 31 speech in Fort Bliss, Texas.

His praise for the soldiers — and for his own national-security policies — won cheers from only a small proportion of the soldiers and families in the cavernous aircraft-hangar.

The audience remains quiet even when the commander-in-chief thanked the soldiers’ families, and cited the 198 deaths of their comrades in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The audience’s reaction was so flat that the president tried twice to elicit a reaction from the crowd.

“Hey, I hear you,” he said amid silence.

The selected soldiers who were arrayed behind the president sat quietly throughout the speech.

CNN and MSNBC ended their coverage of the speech before it was half-over.

The second time Obama had to beg for some sort of reaction was when he gives out “hua!” after the 14 minute mark.

While all the soldiers sitting behind Obama didn’t exactly sit quietly, at times a few gave him some polite golf applause, mostly they did just sit there. Even when Obama was able to get part of the crowd to react to what he obviously thought were sure fire applause lines. They weren’t.

They obviously didn’t like being ordered to be there to act as stage props for one of his campaign speeches. So very clearly they put in as little effort as possible for his reelection bid.

Obama wishes he gave as good a performance as Eastwood.

Steve57 (40573d) — 9/1/2012 @ 6:58 pm

He, he, he. Obama seems to be getting the cold shoulder everywhere:

ABC: Iowans’ Message to Obama: ‘We Did Build This’

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — President Obama received a less than warm welcome and a warning upon arrival at the airport here on the second stop of his Iowa visit, which was aimed at recapturing some of the magic the state gave his run to the White House in 2008.

Greeting Air Force One as it touched down under sunny skies and sultry heat was a hand-painted banner draped across the top of an airplane hangar that reads, “Obama Welcome to SUX – We Did Build This.” “SUX” is the airport code for Sioux City.

I believe it has to do with the reaction to President WONderful’s brilliant speechifying.

Which, if his defenders are to be believed, has resulted only from King Putt’s rambling incoherence. Not from something he intended to say.

Again, if only he were as articulate and coherent as Clint Eastwood, his proxies wouldn’t have to keep trying to explain away his remarks.

Steve57 (40573d) — 9/1/2012 @ 7:10 pm

nk,

Texans are rednecks, too, but I think that’s more popular in East Texas.

DRJ (a83b8b) — 9/1/2012 @ 7:40 pm

Mama come and took her, DRJ, but I’ll tell her, tomorrow. Thank you.

We did teach mama what a “flint” is and where it goes in-between the jaws of the “rooster” of a flintlock. And mama brought us some raw quartz — she couldn’t find the obsidian.

(I worry a little. My mother-in-law has failed at least three times that I know of to kill me, but she is nonetheless a very clever woman and told me that I am trying to turn the daughter into a boy.)

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 8:01 pm

Been down to the East Texas/Louisiana oilfields? No better place for gathering fossils.

You’ve seen a picture of me and the daughter near there not more than seven years ago.

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 8:06 pm

“crackers”
Comment by nk — 9/1/2012 @ 3:30 pm

Among some folks, that word is used to describe whites in a way similar to how the n-word is/was used for blacks.
To hear, “Hey, cracker!” in Philly is not a friendly greeting.

Some from Kentucky are called “briars”, but I think it is a bit like the n-word, you can use it if you are one, not sure how well it would be received coming from a Yankee.

MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 9/1/2012 @ 8:06 pm

I’m from Sparta. It’s in “the south”, not saying which “south”, and I call myself a “barefoot mountain boy” like my daddy called himself. I’ll accept “hillbilly”. 😉

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 8:12 pm

A hillbilly that speaks Greek???

That’s a new one.

Sparta as In the Heat of the Night Sparta?

MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 9/1/2012 @ 8:15 pm

I plan to wash the windshield and head down to Kentucky for a day or two, Inshallah,* before the snow falls. Next door and never visited.

*(Not an Arab, just like different ways of taking God’s name in vain.)

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 8:18 pm

I got pictures, if you want to waste your time scrolling through my blog.

My mama for sure was pure Spartan. My daddy was from a lot of places but still a strong, good-looking man.

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 8:22 pm

Picture. Safe. http://www.krites.blogspot.com/2007/03/right-to-own-weapons-is-right-to-be.html

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 8:29 pm

I grew up on a Greek mountainside, MD. Rode horses, herded lambs, shot rifles.

Came to Chicago at age eleven in 1967.

My grandfather had left it in 1912, to go fight in some stupid war — survived it and raised me.

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 8:41 pm

BTW, for flintlock shooters:

The sparks come from the frizzen. It’s steel set on fire. The stone, any stone, hard enough to turn steel into sparks. The sparks are burning steel, not stone. The rock starts the fire on the steel. It does not have to be flint.

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 8:50 pm

DRJ said:

Texans are rednecks, too, but I think that’s more popular in East Texas.

My homies having fun behind the Pine Curtain!

You can leave the pines, but they always call back.

Ag80 (b2c81f) — 9/1/2012 @ 8:57 pm

Oh my goodness, it sounds like a family reunion:

“They called these people rednecks. I’m from East Texas and I know rednecks,” McWilliams said. “Personally I’m having trouble distinguishing the rednecks from the white trash.”

Ag80 (b2c81f) — 9/1/2012 @ 9:02 pm

Never got yourself bubbling crude while shooting at food, Ag80?

Couldn’t affort piney woods, needed tillable land.

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 9:03 pm

Honor Code. Tell me what a “set trigger” is without Googling.

My grandfather got a gold cross for valor, BTW, in that war. You may Google “Greek Gold Cross For Valor”.

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 9:15 pm

I read The New Testament in the original Kοινε, MD. Νηπιος, την των Ελληνων γλωταν εμανθα.

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 9:26 pm

nk:
I have seen rifles with two triggers in series. I’ll guess the set trigger is the first one and has a normal pull weight while the second trigger has a very light pull weight.

kaf (81bcc7) — 9/1/2012 @ 9:27 pm

The front trigger kind of clicks three times? If you keep squeezing, the rifle will fire, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

The set trigger is hard to describe …? You set it with the front trigger, then stop on the second click, and then it releases the hammer if you breathe on it?

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 9:36 pm

My daddy told me I could never do it because I was too heavy-handed.

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 9:40 pm

This is illustrational, not intructional. Just enjoy it, if you’d like. Rifles, no violence, no nudity (much):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRKUMUPcR7k

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 9:53 pm

*Illustrational, not instructable.*

Please allow me to say it twice.

You will not learn. Just have fun.

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 9:57 pm

Only Tom Selleck can make a twelve-inch shot, at 1200 yards, off-hand, with a blackpowder rifle. 😉

nk (875f57) — 9/1/2012 @ 10:15 pm

I’d say that Clint Eastwood was smack on target the other night, how far is it from Tampa to D.C.?

A set trigger has a very light weight, ounces; the main trigger sets the sear with a normal weight pull, pounds. Some use the index finger to pull the main and stop at the lift (if you pull through, the firearm fires), and then the middle finger on the set trigger, so as to not risk bumping it by moving the index finger.

htom (412a17) — 9/1/2012 @ 10:42 pm

You all are describing double set triggers. A single set trigger requires only one trigger. You can use it like a regular trigger, or, if you push it forward it becomes a set trigger.

I had one on a CZ550 Safari Magnum. But I swapped it out for a custom trigger without the set mechanism. Who needs a set trigger on a .416 Rigby? Besides, I had heard that the set mechanism could become unreliable due to the heavy recoil. And reliability is paramount on a dangerous game rifle.

Steve57 (40573d) — 9/1/2012 @ 10:58 pm

I still have double set triggers on my Hawken rifle, though.

htom, I really didn’t understand your explanation. You do have a “main” trigger. But pulling the set trigger is what lightens the pull weight on the main trigger. You can either use the main trigger as is, or you pull the set trigger first.

Steve57 (40573d) — 9/1/2012 @ 11:06 pm

I was trying to be concise, and see that I screwed it up, now that I read it for about the fifth time and it still doesn’t make sense even to me.

Put your index finger on the forward, main trigger, and your middle finger on the set trigger. Pull your index finger to fire, always. Pull the set trigger first to decrease the pull weight of the main trigger. Using two fingers, you don’t have to put your finger on the main trigger after it’s been set. (Especially a problem with gloves on your firing hand.)

htom (412a17) — 9/1/2012 @ 11:16 pm

Your middle finger is also automatically in position to unset the trigger by pulling and holding the set trigger, and pushing the main trigger forward.

I don’t know of a way to unset a single trigger set trigger, other than holding the hammer as it falls.

htom (412a17) — 9/1/2012 @ 11:23 pm

The CZ550 is a bolt rifle; no hammer. You unset the trigger by either putting it on safe or unlocking the bolt and then pulling the trigger.

Steve57 (40573d) — 9/1/2012 @ 11:47 pm

So, nk…

What do you call a hillbilly who speaks Greek?
A Greek hill-billy

I get it.

MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 9/2/2012 @ 4:15 am

Steve, htom, I cannot explain a set trigger, either, in words.

nk (875f57) — 9/2/2012 @ 6:26 am

http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/09/media_madness_and_the_reckoning.html

narciso (ee31f1) — 9/2/2012 @ 6:46 am

R.I.P. Hal David, songwriting partner of Burt Bacharach

Icy (0d627c) — 9/2/2012 @ 7:37 am

nk, I explained the single set trigger pretty much how it’s explained in the owner’s manual.

But then, if you have the owner’s manual you’ve usually got the rifle, so the verbal explanation makes more sense (not to mention it’s illustrated).

You can see what they’re talking about.

Steve57 (40573d) — 9/2/2012 @ 12:08 pm

8/30/2012

Mitt Romney Speech

257 Responses to “Mitt Romney Speech”

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