Star Spangled Staggers

US politics from outside the beltway

Video: Clint Eastwood interviews an empty chair at the RNC

The man with no name interviews the guest with no body.

By Alex Hern Published 31 August 2012 7:34

Clint Eastwood gesticulates. Photograph: Getty Images

Clint Eastwood made an appearance at the Republican National Convention yesterday, where he decided to "interview President Obama" - represented by an empty chair and a teleprompter.

The stunt didn't quite work as well as Eastwood may have hoped, and instead sparked moderate amounts of ridicule. For instance, journalist Dave Caolo made this image in resonse to the event:

While others decided to try their hand at "Eastwooding", with cats, dogs, and lego all interviewing empty chairs. The classiest response was probably that of the President himself, though:

This seat's taken. OFA.BO/c2gbfi, twitter.com/BarackObama/st…

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 31, 2012

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Tags: US Election 2012 Republican Party

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19 comments

Sat, 2012-09-08 10:26 — James G. Borden (not verified)

AMERICAN PATRIOTS' MOVEMENT OF AMERICA I thought Clint Eastwood was right on the money and very funny. Furthermore: The Kenyan born Muslim is of the antichrist and anyone who has been given spritual sight by the Holy Spirit can easily see evil in Obama and his wife. Only people who have been blessed with spirtual sight of recognizing evil will know what I'm talking about - the other people will have no clue and will criticize me.

Tue, 2012-09-04 16:20 — John Cheese (not verified)

Ha, ha, Alex has to lock down the slanderous Bain Capital story! don't let the facts bang you in the head...
1. The Bain inquiry is not focused on the time Romney was associated with Bain Capital. 2. The Management “fee waiver” strategy is widely used within the industry. 3. The IRS has not made a comment yet. 4. Government worker pension funds are the chief beneficiaries of Bain’s economic stewardship. *I do agree however, this election is hugely important to the US & by default, to the world. It does not suprise me of the left's total effort to "do what it takes" to enforce socialist programs. Do we go the way of Greecifornia with it's $621 billion state budget deficit & no plan, or do we stay free, private enterprise, energy independent & capitalistic? obama is smoke & mirrors.

Sat, 2012-09-01 10:56 — Red Rain (not verified)

Maybe it is time to have a business man in the white house rather than a lawyer after all its jobs America needs not well spun and eloquently delivered words.

Sat, 2012-09-01 13:06 — jankaas (not verified)

because?

Sat, 2012-09-01 13:53 — John Cheese (not verified)

As per VP Crazy Joe Biden, a 3 letter word: J O B S !!

Fri, 2012-08-31 22:39 — jankaas (not verified)

so let me get this straight; they let Clint Eastwood ramble on ad-libbing about goodness knows what, but won't allow Ron Paul, John Huntsman, or Michael Steele anywhere near a microphone?
i bet you Putin and Kim Jong-Un are taking notes.

Fri, 2012-08-31 20:33 — hugh markey (not verified)

Old timers vote! Yea, we get the message, Clint. But the one thing that was missing from Clint's performance was a good script.
We thought the House of Un-American Activities Committee had made this pretty darn clear. Even ardent anti-reds such as Big John Wayne discovered this fact all too painfully in his 50s and 60s career path.
Got a Commie scriptwriter and hey presto an Oscar!
Clint's an actor and a director But that just ain't enough. You gotta have good dialogue, buddy.
GEEsus! The galoot will be ridin' side-saddle next. Cut!!

Old Geezers' Program

Fri, 2012-08-31 20:24 — Carol Huntsman (not verified)

Another terrifying radical rabid Republic preaching betrayal of their own country.

Fri, 2012-08-31 19:57 — Arnie (not verified)

Wow, I can not believe some of these comments I loved him it's a shame some people do not want to here the truth. I bet move of the negative comments are people who watch Bill Maher now there is a true winner.

We have had 6 years of Democratic rule in this country isn't that enough?

The guy in the oval office does not get anything, and the election will show you how much.

Romney & Ryan are light years ahead of the other knuckle heads.

Fri, 2012-08-31 19:57 — Arnie (not verified)

We have had 6 years of Democratic rule in this country isn't that enough?

The guy in the oval office does not get anything, and the election will show you how much.

Romney & Ryan are light years ahead of the other knuckle heads.

Fri, 2012-08-31 16:08 — AAMVN (not verified)

Perhaps Clint was trying a reverse psychology thing - endorse Romney, make a proper fool of yourself and perversely help Obama in the end?

I was surprised at Clint who's films often speak of the 'true American heroes' falling in line behind Romney who is in every way the antithesis of 'an American Hero'. Born rich, he got richer by vulture capitalism, never paid a fair share of taxes, built nothing, left nothing of value, never stuck to his guns on anything - ever as far as we can tell...

Dammit Mitt - what makes you think you deserve to be president??

Fri, 2012-08-31 18:25 — LibSick (not verified)

You are the democrats' dream voter. You repeat their talking points almost verbatim. Governor Romney was NOT born rich. Apparently you didn't see any of the real people speaking at the convention about the actions and accomplishments of this extraordinary man.
You, sir, give fools a bad name.

Fri, 2012-08-31 19:32 — Persephone (not verified)

Excepting the taxes remark ( i'm not sure he didn't pay all the taxes he was legally bound to), the remarks were correct. Mitt was never in his life middle class or lower. He inherited a million from his dad, and Anne's remarks about them living in a basement apartment with a ironing board for a table seem pretty ridiculous, as she and her parents were also well off, and she admitted that when they didn't have a job it was b/c they had enough money to live off their investment and didn't NEED one. Now I don't hate the rich, but I do hate liars, and people trying to draw my sympathies when it's clear that they don't have the experience to. FDR was one of the richest men in the country when he became president, and you know what? people didn't care. Why? Because his POLICIES reflected his good will toward the middle class, not his rhetoric

Fri, 2012-08-31 20:16 — John Cheese (not verified)

Hey Per: Even the NY times says Mitt gave away his father's inheritance money to BYU... maybe you should check your facts again...

Fri, 2012-08-31 15:56 — John Cheese (not verified)

Quotes:
"Oprah was crying".
"23 million unemployed people is something to cry for, that is a disgrace".
"stupid idea of trying terrorists in NYC".
"time for a stellar businessman".
'we own this country".
"politicians are employees of ours".
"when somebody does not do the job, we let them go".

Fri, 2012-08-31 15:28 — Hikaru22

I started to watch the clip, but - Christ Almighty! - is he dead?

Fri, 2012-08-31 11:48 — Ellen Trumpler (not verified)

I think a lot of us feel like we're missing something here...didn't Eastwood appear in a tv commercial about GM which was pro-Obama earlier this year?? Then he does an "about face" turn and tries to pull off a total satire of POTUS and ridicule the guy in the Oval Office??

This is sad, when a top notch Hollywood actor lowers himself to such crude and demeaning behavior. And what about Alzheimer's is funny?? I wonder, does he even remember his own name?

Fri, 2012-08-31 12:32 — Juneau Alaska (not verified)

I watched that half-time ad again. It seemed apolitical to me though I found commentary that some did call it payback to the Govt. from the bailed-out auto industry.

I saw it as simply addressing a particular issue, not a particular ideology. Perhaps naively, I connected his involvement with Detroit to his fairly recent movie, Gran Torino.

But yes, how different was that "everyman" ad from the one tonight that was lapped up by part-time sycophants! It really should not surprise anyone that the RNC chose the archetypal authority figure that Eastwood represents for a lecture. The GOP is in love with authority and Clint's one liners are all too Yahweh-esque.

He has essentially assumed the late Charleton Heston's role of GOP Hollywood Patriarch, has he not?

Fri, 2012-08-31 09:58 — Juneau Alaska (not verified)

I'm not sympathetic to the Republican platform but they pulled off a decent circus act with Grandpa Josey Wales delivering a superb piece of American rhetoric to a hungry audience.

Obama/Biden 2012