Michael Moore on Clint Eastwood’s Delusional and Detached from Reality Speech

[babylonsister]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/08/31/michael-moore-on-clint-eastwood-s-delusional-and-detached-from-reality-speech-at-the-republican-national-convention.html


Michael Moore on Clint Eastwood’s Delusional and Detached from Reality Speech at the Republican National Convention
by Michael Moore Aug 31, 2012 6:34 AM EDT

The Hollywood legend growling at an empty chair will live on in infamy as the moment when a crazy old man hijacked a national party’s most important gathering to tell off the president. Michael Moore on the creepiness of crazy Clint.


Speaking to Invisible Obama last night, in a performance that seemed to have been written by Timothy Leary and performed by Cheech & Chong, Clint Eastwood was able to drive home to tens of millions of viewers the central message of this year's Republican National Convention: "We Are Delusional and Detached from Reality. Vote for Us!"

The footage of Eastwood rambling and mumbling to his "Harvey" - President Obama - will be played to audiences a hundred years from now as the Most Bizarre Convention Moment Ever. The people of the future will know nothing about Dirty Harry or Josey Wales or a Million Dollar Baby. They WILL know about the night a crazy old man hijacked a national party's most important gathering so he could tell the President to literally go do something to himself (i.e. fuck himself). In those few moments (and these days, it only takes a few moments—see Anthony Weiner), he completely upended and redefined how he'll be remembered by younger and future generations.

A few years ago, at the annual National Board of Review film awards held at Tavern on the Green in New York, I was there to hand out one of the honors. When it came time for Eastwood to accept his, he went up to the microphone and growled to me in front of the audience, "If you ever show up at my house with that camera, I'll shoot you on sight." The audience laughed, I laughed, but the person who issued the threat wasn't laughing. That creeped me out a bit. I made sure never to go stand on Clint Eastwood's lawn.

But as I said, the best outcome from the incident last night was that it showed just how out of touch Republicans are these days. It's as if they want a divorce from us, the American mainstream, so they can go live in the land of legitimate rapes and ice caps that don't melt. Most Americans don't live there on Planet Koo-koo, and I don't suspect many will be visiting there any time soon.

Thanks, Clint: you made our day!

[mbee]

1. This display and I think the small snipped of the speech

by Hucklebee I saw demonstrates to me that this is the party of low brow gutter trash!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. No more chairs?

[Major Hogwash]

17. Now that's funny.

The GOP has gone from the White House to the dog house and now they are complaining about chairs!!!

[Pryderi]

39. Pancakes!

[snappyturtle]

3. Perfect!

As entertainment, the chair episode was that, although sad really, and the 'rose recollection' was sweet however, entertainment and sweet doesn't make one qualified to run our country.

[Kurovski]

47. Yes.

I'm most definitly a fan of Mitt's dad.

And that's about it.

[snappyturtle]

50. George Romney was of the old school and honest. imho nt

[Kurovski]

57. As I recall he ended up being altogether too honest for politics in the long run. (nt)

[Bluenorthwest]

4. Clint is and always has been an aggressive, intolerant, self serving hypocrite

I hope all who have stories about him, and there are thousands who do, will step forward and tell them. A frightening womanizer and full tilt liar. Last night was Clint's most honest performance in public. He's always been a jerk.

[JoePhilly]

5. Romney is running against an imaginary Obama, so why be surprised that Clint

had an argument with one.

[JudyM]

16. That's it, right there! Good one. nt

[Fuddnik]

6. They couldn't get the Reagan hologram working....

So, they settled for the next best thing.

[K Gardner]

7. But does MM still think Romney will win the 2012 election? n/t

[babylonsister]

9. He did yesterday; that was depressing to read. nt

[NJCher]

15. are you referring to this tweet?

Which I got off his home page:

Sorry to speak the Awful Truth: 90 million say they're not voting Nov 6 & 2/3 of 'em are Obama supporters. Unless that changes, Romney wins.


Cher

[babylonsister]

18. No, I don't think so.

It had to do with the SuperPac money injected into this campaign. I'll post it if I can find it...

Here's what I read...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/30/michael-moore-mitt-romney_n_1843824.html

Video at link~

Filmmaker Michael Moore joined HuffPost Live Thursday and predicted that the influence of money in politics would lift Mitt Romney to victory over President Barack Obama in November.

"Mitt Romney is going to raise more money than Barack Obama. That should guarantee his victory," Moore told host Josh Zepps. "I think people should start to practice the words 'President Romney.' To assume that the other side are just a bunch of ignoramuses who are supported by people who believe that Adam and Eve rode on dinosaurs 6,000 years ago is to completely misjudge the opposition."

Moore said he believes that if the election were conducted "American Idol"-style, and Americans were able to vote from their couches, Obama "would win hands down."

"That's not what's gonna happen," he told Zepps. "This election's going to be decided on who gets out the most people that day. Who's up at four in the morning, making sure that dozens, hundreds, thousands of people in their communities are getting out to vote. And the Republican machine that is set up and the money behind it to guarantee [what] is really the only important thing -- turnout on that day -- that's what looks pretty scary here."

[NJCher]

64. ok, thanks for that

because I wanted to see his rationale. In this case, I don't agree with it for this reason, which both my husband and I discussed:

"This election's going to be decided on who gets out the most people that day. Who's up at four in the morning, making sure that dozens, hundreds, thousands of people in their communities are getting out to vote.

It will be extra work because of all the voter laws they have gotten passed.


Cher

[Cha]

42. I would ask MM.. Why aren't they voting? How do you know that

number? "Awful Truth"? Needs Proof, MM.

[MADem]

29. Yeah, my question too--he floats in the wind like a feather, doesn't he?

I think he'd best just stand to the side and let those of us who have a clear purpose and vision just do what needs doing. Who knows if he'll go back to Gloom and Doom tomorrow? I'm just not interested in his self-important pontifications. He's got more flips and flops than rMoney, lately.

[Cha]

43. Getting Attention..

Isn't he? If he thinks Romney is going to win..is he just going to do nothing but spread doom and gloom? Help out on his website or is it all over for him?

[4_TN_TITANS]

8. The new "hey you kids, get off my lawn" ???

Zimmerman style?

"If you ever show up at my house with that camera, I'll shoot you on sight."

Whoever signed up Eastwood now that he's off his rocker - thank you!

[skepticscott]

10. Is it a good thing

that a lot more people are ripping into Eastwood than the guy who is actually running against Obama? Not so sure. Don't be distracted.

[Iliyah]

11. Well Michael Moore said it doesn't matter how delusional

the GOPpers are because money trumps everything and this election is bought and paid for Mittens, which personally, I don't think so.

[xtraxritical]

30. The rethugs are well poised to steal another election

with rigged Diebold voting machines, voter ID laws and repeating lies over and over in friendly appealing voices. Everyone of the assholes you saw at the republiCON convention were patronage workers on the public tit, they're going to get out their voters believe me. I hope Democrats can do the same, better, I hope.

[INdemo]

33. I agree with you ..If you go to Huffington Post live

and listen to the interview with MM. I think around 17:21 into the video he kinda contradicted himself by making some facts known..
Billionaires can only buy misleading ads etc,etc..And there is one thing we all share equally with them and that is everyone has just one vote..(we aren't like stockholders yet )
How many Democrats can afford to give 100's of dollars..just guessing very few but we can give 5s and 10s and the key is this..We have to work very hard to get the votes out..to get voters registered ,voter IDs etc..Because with all the billions they are throwing at us there are more of us than there are of them..So with Independents,and our base + we can win this..But again we cannot win by setting on our duff and just waiting to cast our own vote.
The sad story here is, here we are in 2012 and its really not about the issues especially with our own voters,,and its been said many times,,,But because President Obama is African American he could lose and that is very sad and says our country has backtracked to the 50s and 60s and with all the hate messages Repukes have made and very few media sources have called them on it that seems to be their goal
So we have to start now, not next week or next month we need to get voters energized....

[WCGreen]

53. You listened to MM for more than a few minutes..

I don't know, he can be very condescending at times.

[maddiemom]

12. I remember when there used to be "good" Republicans.

I grew up in one of only four or five Democratic families in a fairly small western Pa. town. My dad secretly voted for the Democrats, but was officially a registered Republican because he was convinced that was necessary for his job. My mom was a straight out Democrat. When JFK passed through town in 1960, she was very involved in his visit, was up on stage with him, etc. Until her death at 91 last year, she was still pissed at how all her local Republican friends crowded around and fawned over him when she "knew they were all voting for Nixon." In those days, however, Republicans were normal, nice people. and not at all vicious as they are today.

[reflection]

13. I pounded the RWer here at work about that "speech"

and he was genuinely confused. He said "I thought the speech was awesome and so did everybody else."

I said "are you f-ing kidding me? The Eastwood speech was regarded universally as the most pathetic display of babbling ever. Who is this everybody else you're referring to?"

He said "I'll send you a link" and shockingly, sent me this: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/08/31/clint-eastwood-stumping-for-mitt-romney-in-memorable-moment-suggests-shift-in/

Every time I think Fox can't top their lies and propaganda, they always manage to surprise me. This article makes Clint arguing with a profanity-spewing chair sound like a masterstroke of genius.

[GallopingGhost]

37. Yahoo is doing nothing but running comments

from people fawning over how marvelous Romney and his speech are.

One woman even wrote that she wants Romney to run this country like he runs his personal business.

Stupid, stupid people, scary stuff.

[Bohunk68]

14. If we don't think so,

then, we need to get our asses out there and work to get people to the polls. I'm hearing an awful lot of complacency going on and it frankly scares the shit out of me. Because whatever anyone of us thinks, MM does have a valid point about the money. Otherwise, why were so many of us upset over the Supremes decision? There's only 2 months left before the election and we on the Left need to work to win this without all the huge funding of the Rethugs. Stop the complacency and assumptions that Obama is going to win. There are millions of stoooooopid out there and they hate Obama with a passion.

[kitt6]

19. Michael Moore needs to be viewed

with just as much suspicion.

[progressivebydesign]

20. No, Michael. He wasn't kidding when he said that to you. He is a nasty, grouchy, old man IRL

There is a great reason why some actors need to have a script -- because we don't want to hear what they're really thinking.

[JohnnyRingo]

21. They should have gone with Larry The Cable Guy.

At least he actually knows comedy, is devoutly conservative, and wouldn't have to be prompted for his stupid tag line.

[FloridaGirl98]

22. really?

So, none of you have ever watched a Clint film and liked it? None of you thought he was cool and tough. He has had a long career in Hollywood to have been the horrible person that you are speaking of now. You mean to tell me that "right turn Clyde" wasn't funny and none of you laughed or liked him then. I call you out as turncoats! I say lets separate the actors from their work and their political views. We can say we like them as an actor or singer and still think they should just keep their political views to themselves. I don't have to agree with their views to like their movies or songs. I don't really care what anyone in hollywood thinks. Just give me a good movie or song and I'll ignore all the rhetoric.

[babylonsister]

23. This is talking about Eastwood's 'performance' last night, not

his acting or directing. Maybe HE should have thought twice before appearing at the RNC and making a bloody fool of himself.

[Grey]

31. Hate to break it to you, but

I have never liked any of Clint Eastwood's movies. The only passable one was "Two mules for Sister Sarah" and then only because of Shirley Maclaine. To bad that wasn't an act last night, he might have gotten an Oscar nomination for that "performance".

[patrice]

41. His movies aren't bad, but he took advantage of what his movies created, what we gave him, lastnight

And it isn't just that so many disagree with him, but that he did what he did in a completely illegitimate way.

It was phony bullshit, not even good for what it was. If he had enough respect for his audience, he would have made specific arguments for and against issues and policies, but he didn't even bother to know anything about his topics. If he had wanted to "roast" President Obama, that would have been okay too, if he had actually bothered to study up a bit and use actual traits of the actual man.

If he had to say "Obama has done nothing", it would have been more respectful of his listener's intelligence to frame that statement with his version of WHY "Obama has done nothing", somekind of explanation, not just TTE "saying it makes it so".

And ascribing verbal threats and obscenities to Obama is so far from validity as to have appeared quite paranoid.

It wasn't just that he doesn't approve of the Obama administration, but that he did it so poorly, without even enough respect to know whom he was talking about or how to make rational points for public consumption.

It was pathetic and insulting.

[Cha]

44. Thank you, patrice! nt

[Major Hogwash]

52. It's really good pizza, huh?

Made fresh daily here at the DU.
Come again, we know you will.

[CJCRANE]

59. Some DUers like Clint, you should read a few more threads

before you jump to conclusions.

[Brigid]

61. I loved "Gran Torino."

And yes, "Every Which Way But Loose" was funny. But in the clips of him with the chair, he looks like he belongs in a nursing home. Now I'll always think of "Gran Torino" as his swan song.

[Why Syzygy]

24. Lessee ..

They ditched Palin in favor of Eastwood. .. I'm still thinking about that one... wait! Did he wink?

[MADem]

32. Ahhhh...and more importantly, did he say "You betcha!" nt

[Cha]

45. No, it was "Feeling Lucky, Punk"...and instead of

crosshairs on a gun it was throat slashing.

[MADem]

56. Wasn't that just a wee trifle inappropriate, wouldn't you say? (!!!) nt

[Billsmile]

25. Clint's Theme

Clint's theme of "You haven't done what you said you would do Mr. President" is one we're likely hear over and over.

Perhaps President Obama should set up a chair for every Republican member of Congress, look across the wide expanse, and say "I couldn't sign the bills to get it done because the Republicans weren't there for the American people!"

[Proud Liberal Dem]

36. But then he would be "blaming" somebody (other than himself)

and the Republicans have been dumping on him for THAT too- even though it's 100% true. Bush left him a huge mess and has had to try to fix it despite the Republican pit bulls biting (and hanging onto) his legs for the past 4 years. He's gotten some good things accomplished and he was able to turn the tide of the recession and point us in a better direction but obviously we haven't gotten back to where we need to be. We're still headed in the right direction though. It makes me sick to my stomach to think where we might be now had the Republicans actually been trying to help govern during the past 4 years.

What I also don't like hearing from the Republicans about Obama is his supposed "failure to lead". Now that we know that they planned-from the VERY beginning of his Presidency- to obstruct him to failure, it's pretty hard to argue that if President had just said or done the "right" thing, he would have won over the Republicans and get them to help.

[Cha]

46. But, Clint didn't do his homework.

PBO wanted to close Guantanamo but the Senate wouldn't pass it. In Fact is there one thing Clint said that wasn't a lie.

[Agnosticsherbet]

26. Clint Jumped the Shark

Heyyyy, if the Fonz can do it.

[dawnie51]

27. When did Eastwood become a wonderful guy?

He has always been a douche nozzle; zero personality, 7 kids with 5 different women, only 2 of whom he married, dubious actor, perhaps a trifle better director. Certainly not hero worship material. Just another hyped up fable based on fictional character portrayals that appeal to the knuckle draggers. The only movie he ever made that had any sweetness or warmth was Bridges of Madison Co., and the Eastwood-bots were appalled by it and him in it.

[deutsey]

49. I've always like The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

for its spaghetti Western cheesiness. And I did like that movie he directed about the Japanese soldiers during WWII (Letters from Iowa Jima?) as well as Unforgiven. Play Misty for Me and Two Mules for Sister Sara were ok, too, but I haven't seen those in a long, long time, so I don't know what I'd think of them today.

But that's about it. Dirty Harry movies always remind me of rightwing wet dreams (and who needs to be reminded of that?); I was never interested in seeing those movies with the orangutan; and a lot of his other movies (with a couple exceptions) were just boring to me. I haven't seen his newer films like Gran Torino and Million Dollar Baby. I hear they're good and I'll probably see them some day, but they're not on the top of my list.

I've never been interested in him much beyond his films. Never hated him but also never admired him much either.

[socialindependocrat]

28. What's koo-koo is Ryan saying were going to give your money...

to the wealthy (the people who already have accumulated more than they ever have before over the past 35 years) and then cut programs for the undeserving people like the elderly and the sick
and we know you'll still vote for us - thats crazy!

Are these people in la-la land?

or is the driving force to dictate to a nation the new
"500 commandments of how to live" ?

We do not live in a dictatorship!
If we succumb to the Tea Party's religious laws then we have to allow other religions to put into the pot...
Let's see
We can't eat meat on Fridays
We can't eat pork
We have to pray every 4 hours and face Washington

Let's just fill our lives with so many rules that there is no
way to pursue any kind of happiness at all!

Yes, let's go back to 16 hour work days for minimum wage so we can give our fair share to the wealthy - to whom we all know we owe everything just for the privilege of breathing the air (that they haven't started to charge us for - YET!)

[Hydra]

34. "We do not live in a dictatorship!"

They're trying to fix that. They are totally behind laws for everything they support...and nothing else.

Some of the things they support:

Slavery/Child labor
Rape
Spousal/child abuse
Lawlessness for the top class
Theocracy
Environmental Destruction
Punishment for thought crime
...I could keep going...

Nice people on the other side of the aisle, huh?

[socialindependocrat]

35. Great list!

When I watch TV commentators arguing with a Repuke
I keep thinking that they miss opportunities to cite
examples of all the crap and lies the GOP has made.

I keep thinking that they need a published list of all the things to remind them during a debate.

I'll start with yours and add on...

I can't believe that they continue to repeat their lies even after they have been discredited on national television!

Romney was told about his $813B out of Medicade commercial and he said - So what if it's not the truth - it's working.

I have no respect for these people nor the people who vote for them

[deaniac21]

65. Bunch of dick taters

[polichick]

38. "We Are Delusional and Detached from Reality. Vote for Us!"

I want to see the ad with that text!

[readbetween]

55. i seen it

I am seeing it right here.

[Mkap]

40. THEY BUILT IT

One of the greatest internet meme's have the year...they built it!

[Kurovski]

48. Hey girl!

[babylonsister]

51. Hi, sweetie!

GREAT to see you! Keep in touch!

[readbetween]

54. hmm

Really people. If Clint is acting out this huge role for such an important event. He is doing it for the best actor then of all times. Other than that I did not see what the unfortunate hopefuls saw within the speech. I feel that with how tough things are with this each side is really pushing beyond the true point of their job. In anycase if my employee acted as such. Yes I will replace him to to find someone else who can try their hand at the job.
What, didn't he say the same? What is that underlying message?

[CJCRANE]

58. But why didn't he say it in a straightforward way?

Look at his performance at the RNC compared to that in "Half-Time in America".

The ad is like patriotic poetry but the skit at the RNC was like a speech out of Borat.

[Kurovski]

60. i'm not sure what you're saying, but Obama is doing a great job...

I mean , it would be nice if he were a miracle worker.

Romney's job history is poor at best, as Governor, as Olympic "champ" , and his job as head money-grubber at Bain.