Clint Eastwood's RNC speech reflects Republican disarray

We’ve all been witness to that moment when something so outrageous occurs that we’re all left with the sense of: “WTF just happened?” Well this year—because they are such a wild and crazy bunch—we got to see that moment happen at the Republican National Convention.

On Aug. 30 Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney officially accepted his party’s nomination. But before he gave his big acceptance speech, the RNC had scheduled a special guest that would speak before him. That speaker turned out to be none other than Mr. Make My Day himself, Clint Eastwood.

Given the importance the evening held for Romney, one would only imagine that Mr. Eastwood would have a prepared a speech that would reaffirm to the nation why Mitt Romney is the only choice for president of the United States. But Eastwood had a different approach in mind.

Eastwood moseyed onstage to the podium and began giving his speech. But instead of a traditional speech, Eastwood instead performed a mock conversation with President Barack Obama, whom he claimed was sitting in the empty chair that was placed next to his podium. It was not this bizarre tactic, but the content of that exchange that would turn the nation on its head in bewilderment.

The exchange took place over the course of 12 minutes. And even though it was understood to be a metaphorical President Obama, that didn’t make the situation any less strange.

 Who in their right mind would get up on a national stage, where they know their every word is going to be scrutinized, and decide not to talk up the candidate, but instead to bash the current president, and in essence, proceed to have a conversation with an empty chair?
Had this been some sort of dramatic monologue the performance could have been called brilliant, but it was a major political event, which only made it all the more absurd.

Watching the train wreck unfold reminded me of those times when you are too inebriated to comprehend what you’re doing exactly, and you start talking to people who aren’t there. But that’s the result of being highly intoxicated. What was Eastwood’s excuse?
As fun as talking to inanimate objects is, doing it on a national stage where a political figure is about to accept the nomination for president of the United States just isn’t the time or place to do it.

It almost seemed like Eastwood was auditioning for a role in a movie. A role for a drunken geriatric who forgot he was supposed to talk up his presidential candidate on the day he accepts his party’s nomination.

In all honesty, Mr. Eastwood was just being a complete and total dick.

Instead of building a case as to why Mitt Romney was the only choice for president, he chose to have a conversation with an empty chair. A conversation with himself, if you want to be totally frank.

The whole situation only reinforces the ideology that the Republican party is so bat-shit-crazy even their surrogates can’t function in reality anymore.

If the RNC organizers had a sliver of intellect they would have had someone write Eastwood a moving speech that would not only talk up Romney as a candidate, but also convince the nation that he is the only man for the job. He’s an actor for Christ’s sake. If anyone could have lied and made it sound genuine it would have been him.

Why the decision to let Eastwood take the stage without even knowing what he was going to talk about may never be answered, but one thing is certain: When you want someone to be elected for office, don’t go out and make a complete fool out of yourself when you’re on a national stage. It’s a sure-fire way to ensure their defeat.