Good work, Romney advance people.
On the night heralded as the most important one of Mitt Romney’s political career, the Republican nominee for president was overshadowed by a surprise guest, 82-year-old actor/director/American icon Clint Eastwood, who electrified the crowd when he appeared on stage just after 10 p.m. to the strains of “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.”
But things quickly got weird — really weird.
Eastwood engaged in a bizarre, 12-minute mock conversation with an empty chair representing President Obama. Your opinion of how that went may depend on whom you’re supporting for president. (Or not. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer was visibly angry in discussing the topic afterward.)
But for such a straight-laced guy as Romney, Eastwood’s flight of fancy seemed completely out of place, especially coming as it did after 90 minutes of solemn commentary by individuals attesting to Romney’s character. The speakers, including members of his church, colleagues at Bain Capital and former Olympians, were followed by a biographical film depicting Romney as a warm and funny family man.
Then the candidate hit the stage.
This article appears in Aug 30 – Sep 5, 2012.
