What Eastwood Should Have Said

                                        

Polling after the end of the Republican National Convention seems to indicate that the Romney campaign did receive a substantial boost. After trailing President Obama by two percentage points before the Convention, the Romney Ryan ticket has jumped ahead 48 to 44 with corresponding advances in the all important swing states.

In many ways the Convention was a huge success. It was not just a question of speeches or words. From the top of the ticket on down the Republican party is flashing an intelligent, competent, young and energetic look. No one can say anymore that the party resembles a collection of old fuddie duddies or ignorant extremists.

Gone was Senator McCain and daffy Sarah Palin. Gone were the remnants of the Bush administration. True, Condoleeza Rice was there and featured in prime time, but she is such an attractive, intelligent woman that even without her extremely well delivered speech, she still is a tremendous asset to the GOP. Contrast her delivery to the wooden teleprompter speeches of President Obama, and no one can say that the Republican party lacks intelligence and self confidence.

Speaking of intelligence and self confidence Vice-Presidential nominee Paul Ryan gave one of the best speeches I have ever heard. It was not just the surgical demolition of the failed promises and policies of the Obama administration or the brilliant reference to jobless college students living at home  with fading Obama posters on the wall, but it was also the obvious energy, determination and intelligence of this very attractive young politician. His final words about getting the country going again were practically drowned out by a tremendous ovation. They should be shown repeatedly in Republican ads.

The only mis-step at the convention came on the last day when Clint Eastwood, a true American icon, gave a meandering presentation that embarrassed him more than the party. He came across as a doddering old fool. It was so bad that I had to turn it off half way through.

What could he have been thinking of? I’d like to take a stab about what he should have said.

“I’m here tonight because I am one of the few conservatives in Hollywood. Frankly, I’m also here because my film roles as a hard-as-nails, plain speaking tough guy like the ‘Man with No Name,’ or ‘Dirty Harry’ have given me a celebrity beyond imagination. 

However, I’m sure many of you here have far better conservative credentials than I have. Moreover, I am not really a tough guy, or at least I’m not any tougher than most of you. I’m an actor and that’s the role I’ve played in so many films, some good, some bad, and some truly ugly. 

For most of my life I’ve been a private citizen just like you. I live in Carmel, California, one of he nicest communities in the entire country. For a couple of years I served as mayor of the town and learned just how tough it was to handle even that small responsibility. I don’t think I could even begin to handle the tremendous responsibility that we ask the President of the United States to bear. I’ve produced and directed films about war but I don’t think that I would have the strength or courage to tell young men or women to risk their lives in a foreign war.

We do not need an actor in the White House. We do not need someone who is playing a role, no matter how attractive or tough he or she appears. We certainly do not need actors advising the President. We need real people. 

For President we need a person with knowledge, experience, and proven competence. We need a person who has had to make tough decisions both in the private and the public sector. We need a person with a record of success but also a person who has had his share of failures.  We need a person who knows what it is to take the blows, learn from them, and then get back up again, even more determined. 

That’s why tonight I support Mitt Romney for President of the United States.” ###