Of Clint Eastwood, Chairs, And A Job Well Done

  

Clint Eastwood speaks to Barack Obama as represented by an empty chair. Image Credit: H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY

Of Clint Eastwood, Chairs, And A Job Well Done

The presentations at the Republican National Convention (RNC) were strong with a theme that was gifted to the Republicans through an unscripted moment in a campaign speech (are there any other kinds of public address with Barry?) delivered by our 44th President, Barack Obama.

Mr. Obama mocked successful business owners through the phrase brought about when he characterized these business owners as being smarter or gaming the system when they built there businesses and hired people saying “You didn’t build that”, insinuating that businesses would not exist without help from the Government.

The RNC said over, and over again – We Built This!” – and tied the President to his failed record on job creation, the economy, the increase in debt, and with Clint Eastwood’s help, his lack of leadership for all Americans no matter party affiliation, ethnic background, religion, or talent.

Clint Eastwood was a surprise headline evening podium guest and instead of coming on stage with a tightly scripted presentation that included background video, testimonials, and props … save one. All Clint did was talk to the crowd and carried on a conversation with one prop, an empty chair.

The Empty chair, as explained by Clint Eastwood, was to symbolize our current president, Barack Obama.

What a classic metaphor which played on many levels – from this president not being in his chair while playing in one of his record number of golf outings (well over 100 games played since he assumed office), to being MIA (missing in action) on policies that promote as opposed to inhibit job creation and growth, to operating the government without a formal budget since taking office (that’s right, NO BUDGET), an additional 6 Trillion dollars added to our debt (a sum greater than what all other Presidents have added to the debt before Obama), and finally, the concept of “Leading From Behind” in all things relating to foreign affairs (and really, there is much, much more).

“So I’ve got Mr. Obama sitting here and I just was going to ask him a couple of questions. But you know, I remember 3½ years ago when Mr. Obama won the election and, no, I wasn’t a big supporter,” Eastwood said as he looked at the empty stool next to his podium.

“I was watching that night when he was having that thing and they were talking about hope and change,” he added. “‘Yes we can’ and it was dark and outdoors and it was nice, people were lighting candles, they were saying ‘I just thought this is great.’ Everybody’s crying, Oprah was crying. And I was even crying.”
“I haven’t cried that hard since I found out that there’s 23 million unemployed people in this country. Now that is something to cry for because that is a disgrace, a national disgrace, and we haven’t done enough; obviously, this administration hasn’t done enough to cure that,” he said.

The actor, who officially endorsed Romney earlier this month, continued on a winding rant in which he hit the president for failing to keep his many 2008 promises.

“Somebody had the stupid idea of trying terrorists in downtown New York City. … I know you were against the war in Iraq and that’s OK, but you thought the war in Afghanistan was OK. You thought that was something worth doing. We didn’t check with the Russians to see how they did there for the 10 years,” Eastwood said.

“I’m not going to shut up. It’s my turn,” the actor blurted out a few moments later, still glancing over at the make-believe Obama sitting in the empty chair next to him. “I just wondered, all these promises, and then I wondered about you know, … what do you want me to tell Romney? I can’t tell him that. … Tell him yourself. You’re absolutely crazy.”

 

Photo “Tweeted” by Barack H. Obama, himself. Tweet: This seat’s taken. http://OFA.BO/c2gbfi , pic.twitter.com/jgGZTb02 – The fact that this 44th President couldn’t pass the chance to respond speaks volumes.

This back and forth with the empty chair was amusing and, to the Obama faithful, disrespectful. Clint Eastwood understood the depth of this metaphor and I think he knew it would get under the very thin skin of this “Child-King” executive leader who currently occupies the office.

Eastwood went on - "I would just like to say something, ladies and gentlemen. Something that I think is very important.  It is that, you, we -- we own this country.

We -- we own it.  It is not you owning it, and not politicians owning it.  Politicians are employees of ours."

Clint then addressed the crowd in the hall and on the camera with this line – “Whether you are a Democrat or Republican or whether you’re libertarian or whatever, you are the best. And we should not ever forget that. And when somebody does not do the job, we got to let them go.”

Clint Eastwood is right, we, as Americans living during Carter's Second Term, have to let this 44th President and his administration go come November 2012.