I have to agree with John. This is the weirdest stuff I’ve ever heard at a GOP convention. I listened to it on NPR and when the clock struck 11 pm our local station just ran the 11 o’clock news update concurrently with Mitt’s word salad.
And to answer Mitt, I felt pretty fucking glad I voted for President Obama when Health Care passed, when the auto industry was saved, the War in Iraq ended, when Bin Laden was killed, when DADT ended and for a thousand other things that President Obama has done.
And I’ll feel even better when I can vote for him in November and send Mitt back to wandering between his four or five estates and cheatin’ on his taxes…
Cheers
Princess
Am I better off than four years ago? Damn straight. I teach at a university and four years ago this autumn, when the banks began failing, I thought our endowment would vanish and parents wouldn’t be able to afford to pay their fees. I thought I’d lose my job. Now, my job is safe.
And if we could see Mitt’s tax returns, we’d have confirmation that he’s better off too.
Poopyman
Obama drank that shake months ago. Mittens still hasn’t figured it out.
Mary G
I’m better off. This the first year that I haven’t hit the Medicare D “donut hole” and had to cut way back on meds by now.
rikyrah
am I better off? yes
that Eastwood bit is the craziest shyt I’ve seen in a long time
Culture of Truth
Holy crap. This convention has been an utter disaster.
Also, Romney was terrible.
Zattarra
I’m better off. I work in the US auto industry. ’nuff said.
Elizabelle
Is Invisible Obama drinking Mitt’s milkshake?
He will.
Once he stops laughing.
b1narys3rf
Rmoney is a terrible candidate and a terrible political persona. Watch his speech with the sound off, ignoring his pinched, grating voice (already a big liability) and notice how uncomfortable, full of excess tension he looks. And how his eyes dart. It may already be too late by then but when he gets on the same frame as Obama in the debates, only the dead-end 27% won’t have their stomachs turn at the contrast.
mai naem
I would crawl over broken glass to vote for Obama again. And furthermore, I would then walk over hot coals to make sure that I vote for Obama just to deny Mitt Romney a vote. So called Christian can go fvck himself.
mike in dc
Invisible Obama is in their base, killing their dudes.
BruceFromOhio
This. He ain’t perfect, and I got some pretty serious issues with this Executive, but Gaia help me, he is a damn sight better than the alternative.
Water balloon
Is twitter not loading for anyone else?
Dennis G.
@Elizabelle: Well said!
Ann Rynd
Im not better off after having seen Eastwood whose movies I love and having this image put into my head.
Doggie D
It is not an invisible Obama who is consuming Mitt Romney’s milkshake in my opinion. I really doubt there is even such a thing as an invisible Obama, as he is transparent. If anything is drinking Mitt Romney’s milkshake, my money would be on Hanuman The Monkey God.
Hanuman is no stranger to politics, having previously dispatched the Demon King Ravana. So when it comes to consuming Mormon milkshakes, Hanuman would very likely be one thirsty God, if you know what I mean.
Violet
My local news recap of the convention is leading with Eastwood.
Hawes
@Ann Rynd: At least Reagan has the good sense to retire from the limelight when his dementia set in.
What’s the opposite of “bounce”?
Judas Escargot, Acerbic Prophet of the Mighty Potato God
The 17yo stepdaughter came upstairs while we were watching Clint Eastwood. Paused it, explained that she lives in a country where people’s votes are swayed by an old man yelling at an empty chair.
Can’t imagine why her and her friends have zero interest in politics.
Hawes
And you KNOW you need to see this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hXJMFW25nY
amk
mittbot – 2x$9 >>>1x$22, you fucking peons.
And the fucking peons cheer.
Mebbe fucking ‘murka does deserves this ratfucker.
Ann Rynd
Eastwood gets all the water cooler talk tomorrow. Romney convention planner epic fail.
Culture of Truth
Kelly O’Donnell, just now:
“It was one of those crazy nights”
Anya
I called grandpa (a big Eastood fan (former)) what he thought about Eastwood’s performance. Grandpa: I instructed your grandmother to take me to the nearest death panel if I start to ramble on to an invisible chair.
mai naem
There was this christian thing that really bothered me during tonight’s convention. I don’t know if it was just me but practically every speaker(except Clint Eastwood) they had on today including the Mormon friends of the Romneys with the sick kids who make comments about Mitt being a christian/church going/god fearing in such a way that it was a dog whistle that Obama was somehow not a christian.
SatanicPanic
@Princess: That pitch would have worked if the financial crisis had happened after Obama because president, not right before it. Obviously we’re all better off than a time when we thought the entire financial system was going to collapse.
TaMara (BHF)
Am I glad I voted for Obama? I work in the renewable energy field and because of stimulus was able to hire more people, order more from our vendors (90% locally owned), reduce homeowners and business energy costs and now start my own business on the side. You know what all that did? It helped stimulate the economy. And there were no vulture capitalists involved anywhere.
Fuck yeah, I’m glad and I can’t wait to do it again.
Dennis G.
@Judas Escargot, Acerbic Prophet of the Mighty Potato God:
Well, that’s one form of American Exceptionalism…
Violet
@Hawes: Thud.
Cassidy
Did Mittens use a teleprompter?
Richard
With regards to Clint…
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/clint-eastwood-strange-address-invisible-obama-rnc-023242832–election.html
Comrade Mary
They really should have re-tooled the Reagan hologram to be an Eastwood hologram.
The especially sad thing is that Eastwod is a talented guy whose ego outstripped his common sense tonight (and any time he supported or voted for Republicans, of course). I saw an ad for his new movie tonight where he apparently plays an elderly man who repeatedly shows himself to be dangerously incompetent. What an awful way to make life match — well, not art, because the movie looks crappy, but you know what I mean.
Mike in NC
No dead cat bounce coming up for these clowns…
Spaghetti Lee
RNC 2012: Old man yells at chair.
Dennis G.
@Richard: The hash tag #romneyshambles will never be out of date…
jwb
@Doggie D: Man, you really do sound like BOB.
SarahT
Getting a Mammogram & Pap Smear tomorrow, which I can finally afford because now our hospitalization-only policy covers it. HELL YEAH I’m better off.
patrick II
That is the best speech I have ever heard Mitt Romney give. It had a kind of whiney earnestness that a teenager who wants you to like him might have. It was considerably better than his normal smug robot persona.
CaliCat
I heard Lawrence O’Donnell was fawning all over Rombot’s speech. What’s up with that?
Spaghetti Lee
I like Clint Eastwood. He’s made some great movies. I wonder why he thought this would be a good idea.
Villago Delenda Est
@Violet:
Oh shit.
That is NOT a good sign for OvenMitt.
It is, however, great news for the country. Because it’s great news for John McCain!
Spaghetti Lee
RNC 2012: We built it, we bought it, and now we can’t return it.
Violet
@patrick II: I agree. He delivered it well. But all anyone will talk about is Clint Eastwood. How could Romney let HIS convention get away from him like that? Why not put Clint on yesterday? Or first thing tonight? Not in prime time to mess up that schedule.
If Mitt’s such a great manager, why was this convention such a mess? Wasn’t he in charge?
Dexter's new approach
This convention was a gift. I admit Ryan got the crowd pumped up with his obvious lies, so they scored there. But tonight it was: flat, WTF? And really flat
Rubio’s speech was good in content for the crowd, but they treated him like the opening band for Bon Jovi. Clint was an (predictable) epic disaster. Rombot was himself – half the TV audience went to jerking off to Palin half way though, the other politely clapped until he mentioned Obamacare. BOOOO. Goodnight, God Bless America!
I will sleep better tonight.
jwb
@Ann Rynd: Well, perhaps. On the other hand, Clint’s performance was so bizarre it becomes the lightning rod that absorbs much of the weirdness of the rest of the convention, and Twitter at least is telling me that Mittwit didn’t come off as a complete dick, even if lied his way through the speech.
Bokonon
When exactly the GOP become the anti-GITMO, anti-war party?
Come on, Clint. Stop pissing on our leg and telling us it is raining. That is what you might WISH the GOP represented, not what it is.
jwb
@Cassidy: Yes.
Just Some Fuckhead
@Comrade Mary:
Are you sure you aren’t confusing that with tonight’s speech?
JustAnotherBob
@Doggie D:
If it’s Hanuman then I’ll bet Ganesha put him up to it.
You know the patron of arts and sciences and the deva of intellect and wisdom has to be pissed at Republicans for debasing pachyderms.
GregB
I think it was brilliant stage craft to put Clint Eastwood on in order to make Mitt Romney look normal in comparison.
Spaghetti Lee
I don’t know about you, but I’m proud to live in a country where an Invisible-American can be elected president.
BTW, what are the odds that Obama was waiting for this shitfest to be over so he could drop some bomb about Romney, Ryan, or both on next week’s news cycle? My preliminary guess is “pretty fucking high.”
Cassidy
@jwb: Awesome.
Bokonon
As someone just tweeted:
@BenariLee: Clint Eastwood just summed up the GOP’s entire strategy: made-up one-sided arguments against an enemy that doesn’t exist. #RNC
The prophet Nostradumbass
I am not better off than I was four years ago, but that has nothing to do with Obama. That’s all on the company I used to work for, which decided to send tens of thousands of American jobs to India.
trollhattan
@GregB:
Reagan’s actual corpse would have been even bettah.
piratedan
@Hawes: i believe you’re looking for ‘Cratered’…. and with luck, this will have everlasting effects downticket
danah gaz (fka gaz)
Am I better off under Obama?
That’s a complicated question. I don’t evaluate my well-being based on who is in charge. So far I suppose, I’ve been lucky enough to be able to skirt the state of the economy, and most other things that would generally tie me to having to consider that.
For instance, I make next to nothing right now, but if I wanted to (like always), I could fire off my curriculum vitae and go shopping for a six figure job. I seriously doubt the state of the economy would effect me much. I admit, that probably puts me in a minority – and again, I’m lucky in that regard.
That said, I am concerned about how my neighbors are doing. It seems like they are doing better than they were in 2008. Things are still rough, but people are getting jobs (I know this to a certainty because my s/o works for a Worksource office here in WA).
My main political concerns are around the social safety net, and issues of social justice. While I’ve been sorely disappointed with Obama sometimes with regards to this, overall Obama is far better in those terms than Romney would be, and could ever be.
Also, I have a backup plan. I’m fully prepared to skip the country if it comes to that. Since I’m near certain that Romney will lose this election I don’t see that happening for awhile, but it’s nice to know I can escape if it comes down to it.
Comrade Mary
@Just Some Fuckhead: Possibly.
Rommie
Boy, while I thought the Wingluarity would be stranger than can imagine, it turns out it’s stranger than you *CAN* imagine.
I can’t believe the Democrats will lose to those people. I think the rest of the world has a justifiable reason for a Declaration of War against the U.S. if they do – Skynet wouldn’t be as dangerous as this crew with nukes.
Dennis G.
@Bokonon: Perfect
Spaghetti Lee
@jwb:
Ooh, that crafty Mitt! If that’s really what he was going for, well…let me just say that if your strategy is “Let a rambling octogenarian actor steal the spotlight so people forget about me at my own coronation/convention”, you don’t have a strategy. I don’t know what that is, but it ain’t strategy.
jwb
@Cassidy: Here’s an image from rehearsal/tech check.
Comrade Mary
Fucking CBC has been fucking awful on this convention. First they kept playing bits of Ryan’s “amazing” speech over and over again, and just now they played Mitt’s slow, painful ramble about Obama promising to heal the world while Mitt just wants to help you and your family.
CaliCat
Looks like the soft bigotry of low expectations is in full effect even here at BJ regarding Rombot and his hollow, self-serving bs.
Shawn in ShowMe
@CaliCat:
The talking head consensus is that this was the speech of Mitt’s life. Considering how robotic he’s been in the past, I wholeheartedly agree with that. But Clint Eastwood is his Tina Fey moment. There’s no way getting away from it.
Just Some Fuckhead
@Bokonon:
lolz
Anya
@Spaghetti Lee: I tried to watch it but it’s really painful. Hologram Reagan would have been more dignified.
Suffern Ace
@SatanicPanic: Sullivan pointed that out. They like to pretend that Obama inherited Clinton’s economy and not Bushs fiasco.
patrick II
@Violet:
The Clint idea was to raise ratings, which I would guess to their chagrin it did. It would have been a good idea if they had given Clint a short script with a few simple “love America” things to say, but they didn’t. Clint said some of the things that go over so well when bullshitting with the other rich guys at the country club bar but are just an embarrassment when said on that stage at that time.
GregB
The creepiest thing Mitt did was do the cutesy, school girl lip-bite thing when he delivered the line about President Obama stopping the rise of the oceans.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@jwb:
Being an old hand at this Internet thing, I’ve come to the conclusion that they mass produce them.
amk
Chris Rock’s tweet:Clint Eastwood on the phone with Obama now: “It all went according to plan sir”.
Bruce S
Pretty sure the only way for the Democrats to recoup after this amazingly powerful RNC is if they bring Spike Lee on before Obama’s speech to talk some unscripted shit about Mitt Romney to an empty chair. Time it for the beginning of prime time network coverage. Otherwise all is lost.
Violet
Obama’s camp response when asked about Eastwood’s speech:
jwb
@Spaghetti Lee: I doubt it was a strategy, but the reality will be everyone talking about Clint being bizarre and we’ll undoubtedly be inundated with delightful parodies for the next week. Given the way the convention went up to the point of Clint’s performance, that’s probably the best thing that could have happened since it served to erase much of the rest of the convention. Now it was still a fucking waste of three days’ time, no doubt about that, but I think Mittwit is politically much better off with Clint’s performance than without it.
Comrade Mary
The Twitter machine is going to town on #Clint.
Obama spokescritter: Responding to Eastwood’s speech, Obama spox @BenLaBolt replies: “Referring all questions on this to Salvador Dalí.”
Bob Newhart: “I heard that Clint Eastwood was channeling me at the RNC. My lawyers and I are drafting our lawsuit…”
Doggie D
Behold.
A Hanuman attempt to consume a fruit, only to determine that what appears to Hanuman to be perhaps an orange, is actually the sun. Hanuman is not usually the smartest God in the room which helps his followers with the whole self-esteem thing. Hanuman in his search for fruit perhaps intends to teach us that things are not always as they seem.
The cave, the fire, the shadow. All mask that certain forbidden Truth, which cannot be found at the bottom of Mitt Romney’s milkshake, regardless of who slurps it up. Even the puppet itself is manipulated. In the world of Hanuman, those monkeys who are smart enough to recognize the difference between an Orange and that celestial body our Sun, recognize that the law of the jungle never changes. It simply goes into periodic remission.
MattR
@danah gaz (fka gaz):
I can’t think of a single thing I dislike about Obama where Romney is not significantly worse.
SatanicPanic
@CaliCat: I am willing to own up to my anti-robot bigotry. It’s something I’ve been trying to work on, but I am just grossed out by them. I can’t help it. Maybe if I had grown up around more robots.
Elizabelle
That was such a strange, strange convention.
If the nominees’ families had emerged at the end and started throwing ferrets into the audience, it would not have been much stranger.
They’re arguing that Obama has failed, and they cannot (a) run a convention, (b) even allow their GOP congressional leadership on stage and ( c ) they lie and applaud lies like nothing I have ever seen.
And then everyone gets upstaged by ranting at an empty chair.
We are nearing peak wingnut.
Suffern Ace
@Comrade Mary: Jus like Bush didn’t want that nation building role…Romney inexplicably wants that to make that big army even biggehusk no one will attack us, yet surrounds himself with hothead mangers like Bolton. I pity the countries whose democracy he’s planning to promote. But to pretend he’s mr domestic policy help your family small plans is one of those dangerous lies.
murakami
Invisible Obama is watching you masturbate.
CaliCat
@Shawn in ShowMe: you wholeheartedly agree? why not just agree? And who the hell cares if he sounded less robotic – the whole thing was a complete farce.
Villago Delenda Est
@amk:
You have to wonder if that was exactly what happened.
It’s hard to believe that Eastwood could be that incoherent. I know he’s no spring chicken, but even Reagan could deliver lines during the end of his second term, when he was obviously in the early stages of Alzheimer’s.
I had this fantasy that Eastwood would go totally off-script and say, in the steely manner of Harry Callaghan, “You people are too stupid to listen to me, but if you give the slightest importance to your own interests, don’t vote for this lying sack of shit Romney.”
This may be just as effective.
The prophet Nostradumbass
George Takei, FTW:
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@MattR: I completely agree with you. That does not mean that I completely agree with Obama. =/ Just that Romney would range from bad to infinitely worse.
For starters, it’d be nice if Obama gave a shit about the expansion of executive powers, and if in some of his executive orders, he’d maybe stopped deporting record numbers of brown people. Still, I won’t condemn him, because frankly I don’t have to make the kinds of choices he does, he doesn’t have complete control of our government, and he’s not a perfect person. Overall, I’m glad I voted for him the first time. If I don’t vote for him this time, it’s only because his electoral vote is absolutely safe in my state. Lacking a 3rd party candidate that I like, I’ll probably vote for him again. (And no I don’t expect a 3rd party candidate to actually win, and no I’m no firebagger – and in any case I have, and will continue to donate, and shill for Obama =) )
? Martin
So, spent the evening at my son’s first performance, then went for a run, and am just now sitting down. The twitters are saying that Clint needs to stop speaking extemporaneously now, which makes me sad, because I love Clint, but also happy because if he was going to embarrass himself in public, it really couldn’t have happened at a better place and time.
And then Mittens was a ginormous meh.
trollhattan
@Violet:
Ouch. Mark, they haz left one.
jwb
@Comrade Mary: #eastwooding is even better.
Suffern Ace
@MattR: This.
Corbin Dallas Multipass
@murakami: Look straight into those invisible eyes and stroke away.
Just Some Fuckhead
@danah gaz (fka gaz): All I heard was I’MAFIREBAGGERFIREBAGGERFIREBAGGERLOOKATMEMYBAGISONFIREFIREFIRE!
jl
@Villago Delenda Est:
Hollywood star ego plus Romney camp contempt for the help. I wonder if they pissed him off and he came out and phoned it in, with a little bad acid subtext. Looks like Bob Newhart noticed the resemblance.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@Just Some Fuckhead: hahaha
patrick II
@GregB:
He got that move from Bill Clinton.
Spaghetti Lee
@Just Some Fuckhead:
Hey yeah, let’s do this again!
Corbin Dallas Multipass
Invisible Metrosexual Black Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
SatanicPanic
@Suffern Ace: This time four years ago was scary. Or imagine what happened in Bush’s first term. The last four years haven’t been great, but they’re better than the previous eight. If they want to make the case otherwise, I would love to hear them try.
amk
@Villago Delenda Est: I speculated that eastwood was a fucking lefty troll at the convention.
GregB
@patrick II:
Which he stole from a school girl.
patrick II
I thought Rubio gave the best speech of the convention. (To be clear I am grading on a steep curve). It is just too bad for him that he let them know he can speak Spanish.
CaliCat
Well, it looks like Rombot actually got BJers to debate whether they still like Obama. We played Mittens!
Spaghetti Lee
@SatanicPanic:
Previous eight years? Oh, do you mean the third Clinton term and the first Obama term?
Ash Can
@Violet: LOL!
amk
Hilarious tweets under #EastWooding
jl
On the other hand, Mitt promised us two jobs for the price one plus some change. Sounds like a good bargain to me. Think of the savings.
I’m voting for Mitt, I need the money.
Wait… not sure I got it quite right. I’ll get back to you on that.
Just Some Fuckhead
John Cole is on MSNBC. Looking good, John.
mai naem
Bob Newhart tweeted
Shawn in ShowMe
@CaliCat:
Mitt Romney’s entire campaign has been a complete farce. I thought that went without saying. I’m just in a magnanimous mood tonight.
Foggy F Follansbye
@patrick II: I do like Rubio but he seemed too young and spoke over the applause. He needs a lot more practice.
karen marie
@Richard: Shit, the chair had 15,000 followers before Romney took the stage.
Spaghetti Lee
Eastwood: “When Romney invited me to the convention, I only asked for one condition: all the gin I could drink.”
Comrade Mary
Heh. Vixen at RumpRoast has the best post title. Also.
Elizabelle
@Just Some Fuckhead:
Cruel!
TG Chicago
Sullivan both last night and tonight said something about how Romney’s decency is undeniable.
How is he defining “decency”?
The dictionary says “conformity to the recognized standard of propriety, good taste, modesty, etc.” Romney is a man who is running a campaign based almost entirely on race-baiting and lies — which Sullivan points out multiple times per day.
How does that behavior conform to recognized standards of propriety?
This is just one of Sullivan’s blind spots where he feels a need to show some sort of reverence for a guy who kinda looks like an old school conservative, if you squint and have taken a few shots of tequila.
On a side note, when did Sullivan get moved back to the blogroll from the “monitor and mock as needed” category?
Death Panel Truck
@mai naem: More likely it was an attempt to convince the fundies that Mormon Mitt is a real Christian, so as not to risk any of them staying home on election day rather than vote for the latter day saint.
Corner Stone
I’m still not sure what the hell I just watched at the RNC.
muddy
Tweety just asked a Daily Show writer (?) to tell Jon Stewart to like him. Gods he’s so weird.
Comrade Mary
@Just Some Fuckhead: WUT? Screen shot of his last post or surveillance video of his last attempt at cleaning the bathtub?
SatanicPanic
Pretty funny reading the Republicans trying to spin this as some sort of victory on Twitter. I really hope they’re being paid.
Violet
@amk: #Eastwooding is a riot.
danielx
@Just Some Fuckhead:
WTF??
Corner Stone
@mai naem: I’m a little young for Bob Newhart but I really was trying to place the comedic performance style of Eastwood tonight.
It was way too obvious to be an actual speech. Had to be art.
mai naem
@Villago Delenda Est: He’s 82 and I’m pretty sure he’s done some hard living. He probably flew in today or last night, so he probably had some jet lag. The Romney people were probably too intimidated to ask him to do a practice run. He probably is a cantankerous old guy IRL and that probably didn’t help.
Comrade Mary
@Corner Stone: Speaking of Bob Newhart and his phone bits, here’s Shelley Berman and one of his one-sided phone call routines. (I found this on an old LP for a family I babysat for.)
amk
Obama responds directly to the klown.
Ash Can
And courtesy of wag Lidane at LGF, BOOM goes the dynamite. Badass president iz badass.
ETA: And it’s amk by a nose!
Southern Beale
Yahoo News tells me Romney was aiming for the “disillusioned Obama voters” with his speech. I’m sure there is diversity of opinion among that group but all of the disillusioned Obama voters I know are disillusioned because Obama wasn’t the magic progressive they expected him to be, not the Republican Mitt thinks they wanted him to be.
Very weird.
CaliCat
@Shawn in ShowMe: Sorry if I seem crabby but I’ve had my fill of these clowns.
elaine benes
I’d love to have been in the same room with Obama and Axelrod during Clint’s speech or whatever the hell that was.
Their reactions = priceless.
Old Dan and Little Ann
Chris Matthews was interviewing a gaggle of clowns and they all loved Romney. He said to one meathead, “You are a piece of work, buddy.” That shit was funny.
patrick II
@muddy:
Stewart kicked Mathews’ ass a couple of years ago in a Daily show interview about Mathews’ book about how to win at life by emulating lying politicians. I have seen Tweety express hurt feeling a few times about this — including asking a guest if Stewart didn’t like him because of his height (Mathews is much taller than Stewart).
Mathews gives me whiplash. He so often says such stupid things and then turn around and say something so insightful. He should have a little warning light or something so I know when he is worth listening to.
amk
@Ash Can: Ha, I had the quicker draw. You’re dead now.
Corner Stone
Newtie. And that gastric rictus bag of fail Callista.
Jeebus.
Just Some Fuckhead
@patrick II: Matthews is a real fuckhead.
trollhattan
Holy crap, I just watched Sam Bee’s bit from last night’s TDS. She’s a treasure. (for a Canuck, y’all)
patrick II
Famous Eastwood punchline from Dirty Harry movie that is suddenly more appropriate: “A man’s got to know his limitations”.
Catsy
I considered watching tonight’s speeches. Even proposed a drinking game to the other adults in the household. But instead I spent the entire evening playing a hack-and-slash ARPG online with my 11-year-old, and am just now catching up on all this spectacular fail.
Verdict so far is that I made the right choice on how to spend my evening.
CaliCat
Hey Firebags, Rombot was poking you.
Go to the light
Go to the light
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@Elizabelle: “We are nearing peak wingnut.”
Doubtful. I’m fairly certain that crazy is a renewable resource.
Allan
Thank God they kept Sarah Palin off the platform, because she might have done something to embarrass the GOP.
? Martin
So, I missed the backstory on Clint, but my guess is that he was invited to do the big conservative thing to clear up that Chrysler Super Bowl Ad that all the wingnuts read as an Obama endorsement. And being Clint, nobody had the stones to walk him through this, review his comments, question whether he could just wing it, etc. And as a result, they pretty much completely torpedoed their big night, ensuring nobody talks about Mitt and only talks about Clint.
It’s really impressive how well the Romney campaign and the GOP can unfailingly step on their own dicks.
GregB
@Corner Stone:
Best ventriloquist act evah!
patrick II
@Just Some Fuckhead:
Hey Fuckhead (I always wanted to say that without getting punched) — is your boy still playing anywhere around Virginia Beach?
KG
@patrick II: I’ve liked Matthews since the mid90s, I think it’s because he seems less polished and less scripted than the other yappers… Really like one of hose guys at the bar on a Saturday afternoon bullshitting about the news
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@KG: meaning they make sense once you’re drunk?
amk
@trollhattan: She exposed the total CD of those kkklowns about ‘personal freeeedem, choice, blah, blah’, didn’t she? Go sam bee.
? Martin
@trollhattan: She is indeed a treasure. That bit was brilliant.
This is interesting:
The GOP lost Koch on tax policy? That should tell you something.
pseudonymous in nc
#Eastwooding is now a thing on Twitter. Nice work, RNC.
As the GOS noted, the RNC schedulers also missed the network hour with the touchy-feeling bio video (which apparently was quite affecting) and launched it with Clint talking to the chair, then apparently fucked up the timing sufficiently that Rubio was having pages tossed from his speech even as he was giving it, and Mittens had to deliver at a clip.
These are the people who are supposedly better at running the United States. Oh, and the balloons stayed lodged in the ceiling.
@patrick II:
I think he’s a pure product of his generation — Boomer blue-collar NE Catholic — much more so than Russert, who adopted the schtick but devoted himself to being a company man. Loofa O’Reilly’s a pure product too, just in a different direction.
mai naem
@Corner Stone: Well, thanks for making me feel like an old fart but actually most of the Newhart stuff I’ve seen is rerun stuff. I remember seeing him on one of the night talk shows and he was hilarious. Anyhoo, one of the female comedians does something similar too – I think it’s Lily Tomlin but I may be wrong.
Hill Dweller
The MSNBC talking heads played nice when talking about Willard’s speech, but I think GOP bigwig Alex Castellanos got it right when he said Romney offered nothing to convince the country that he’s any different from Bush.
Nevertheless, the Eastwood debacle is going to kill whatever narrative Willard hoped would come out of the convention.
jl
Oh dear. Good news for John McCain, I guess.
From Eastwooding twitter pics to viral snarky free media for the Obama team.
http://twitter.com/stinque/status/241394231665623040/photo/1
I hope this is just the beginning of a bright new dawn in this here campaign.
Violet
@amk: Ohhh…they are so good. Too funny.
@patrick II: That interview was painful to watch. Matthews wanted to sell his book. Stewart was incredulous that anyone would go around telling people to win by lying like politicians and he was having none of what Matthew was selling. Tweety was visibly shaken by the experience. He thought he was going to a softball, lefty-friendly interview and got mown over by Jon’s indignation.
Hard to believe they haven’t patched things up at this point, but there you go.
jomo
Gonna remember Mitt’s speech for the asshole “Obama promised to keep the oceans from rising” joke. Pretty freaking hilarious.
Just Some Fuckhead
@patrick II: Yeah, his regular band class has a few concerts but I’m a little fuzzy on the dates. Don’t know if he’s going to do jazz band again.
School doesn’t start for a few more days.
jwb
@? Martin: Except the rest of the convention was so God awful, can you really say that everyone talking about crazy Uncle Clint is close to the worst case scenario? But this campaign—they have $2 billion to spend on ads and really nothing else. Unfortunately, $2 billion on ads may still be enough. I don’t think so, but it remains well within the range of possibility.
Walker
@? Martin:
Not his taxes. Shared sacrifice is for the plebes.
Corner Stone
@mai naem: Who is Lily Tomlin?
patrick II
@KG:
I often like him too though his stream of consciousness ramblings have more extreme highs and lows than anyone else in his business. It has also kind of amused me that he was so hurt by Stewart’s criticism that is still feeling bad two years later.
CaliCat
At least Tweety had the stones to call out Priebus and Rombot on their blatant race-baiting. You can believe none of those other Morning Schmoes would have the sack to do that.
amk
@mai naem: methinks you thinking of goldie hawn?
patrick II
@CaliCat:
Absolutely.
Matt in HB
LOLZ @ #eastwooding
@BarackObama This seat’s taken. http://pic.twitter.com/jgGZTb02
Oh lord that’s awesome.
Walker
@amk:
Goldie’s schtick has never really been anything more than “dumb blonde”. Lily Tomlin is a much better comedian.
amk
@Walker: Agree. Tomlin is way smarter. But then hawn is a hawtie.
danimal
I won’t be happy until I see the polls confirming my prediction of a negative convention bounce. The Obama tweet is an instant classic.
cthulhu
Hey, isn’t the rule that the GOP knows how to win elections while the Dems know how to govern? One group isn’t keeping up their part of the bargain.
patrick II
@Just Some Fuckhead:
If you see me on a thread sometime when you know his schedule give a shout out.
JustAnotherBob
@patrick II:
Sorry. There was no best speech for this convention….
pseudonymous in nc
@Violet:
Stewart is way harder on journalists than he is on politicians. Always. Goldberg (Bernie and Jonah), Cramer, etc. Mainly because he doesn’t think he should be doing the political journalists’ jobs, and doesn’t think the political journalists are doing theirs.
patrick II
@JustAnotherBob:
Well, it is hard to disagree, but in fairness to me I said I was grading on a steep curve.
Another thing that amused me is that both Susana Martinez and Marco Rubio spoke Spanish for one sentence — followed by a deathly silence in the hall followed by an immediate rush to the next sentence in their speech to cover the silence. Those two were the best speakers of the convention but the Tea Party does not approve of straying from the National Language.
Violet
@patrick II: Interesting. My take on Rubio’s Spanish bit is that the crowd started clapping almost before he finished, and then he hurried to translate it and the crowd cheered. I came away with the impression they cheered BECAUSE he spoke Spanish, as in, “See! We have Spanish-speaking people too! We’re not anti-immigrant!”
trollhattan
@JustAnotherBob:
What, have we already forgotten Condi blaming 9/11 on Obama? Speechifying gold.
patrick II
@Violet:
I heard it as some clapping followed by silence followed by Rubio going quickly to the next line. Martinez definitely got the silent treatment.
Also, I think they had more speakers of color than attendeees.
Odie Hugh Manatee
@Elizabelle:
He fell off of Clint’s chair, laughing his ass off at the inanity of it all. This has to have been the worst/craziest Republican convention ever. They can hype this disaster all they want but nothing will change the fact that the Republican party has collectively lost their minds. That they think it was a roaring success only confirms their complete detachment from reality.
I hope enough Americans are still rooted in reality so as to not support their insanity this fall.
Villago Delenda Est
Lily Tomlin gave me (as a person who’s worked in electronic communications most of my life) the greatest line, ever.
“We don’t have to care. We’re the phone company.”
Tokyokie
Maybe the Republicans didn’t let Clint use a Teleprompter because they remember his emergency hosting job at the 1973 Oscars.
Cain
@JustAnotherBob:
Hey man, the pachyderm god like dude is known as the “remover of obstacles” You can bet that he can remove any milkshake drinker.
That’s why Obama carries Ganapati around in his pocket… LIKE A BOSS.
BTW Reddit is still bursting starbursts today. I expect the love fest to keep going for another two days.
Cain
@Doggie D:
What the fuck are you talking about? Jeezus. Now look what you made me do, I’ve dragged in another deity to the mix. Thanks a lot, dude.
karen marie
@? Martin: I’m not buying it. He’s trying to improve Koch favorability numbers.
TenguPhule
SPLAT
karen
@Cain: What is Ganapati and drinking milkshakes?
ruemara
@danah gaz (fka gaz): I’m so sick of this. You do realize you want an executive order to not carry out immigration law? Which would be in direct opposition to your desire to see executive power abuse curtailed. Yeah, yeah, you’re voting for Obama, but I just get worn out with all the disappointment that’s based on fantasy about what is and is not legal or possible. Jesus.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@ruemara: I’m sorry I didn’t kiss his ring.
As far as executive powers being curtailed, I’ll be more specific. I’m far more concerned about war powers than general executive orders. In fact, given that Congress is in the shitter, EOs are probably a good idea for the most part.
As far as my lack of total fealty. Note it. Jot it down. Take a fucking picture.
And when you’re done with that, you can proceed to go fuck yourself. I do not care what you are tired of.
The fact is that you haven’t watched first hand as your friends families are torn apart by ICE raids. You haven’t watched the feds shred an agreement for a custodial sponsership of a 17 year old kid so they could deport his ass.
I have. I deal with this kind of shit on a weekly basis. You don’t. It’s comfortably abstract for you, isn’t it? That must be nice.
Maude
@danah gaz (fka gaz):
An EO would be challenged in court for violating laws set by Congress. Write to you congress critters.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@Maude: I do. Thankfully, my congress-critters are pretty decent, so I normally don’t have to. I’d write to other people’s congress-critters if it made any kind of difference.
Also, not all of Obama’s EOs have been successfully challenged.