Romney speech overshadowed by Eastwood

31 Aug 2012, 6:46 pm   -   Source: AAP
Mitt Romney is to accept the Republican presidential nomination at the party convention in Florida. (AAP)

Mitt Romney is to accept the Republican presidential nomination at the party convention in Florida. (AAP)

Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has found his acceptance of the Republican nomination overshadowed by the bizarre speech of actor Clint Eastwood.

RELATED

Presidential challenger Mitt Romney promised to restore American greatness and achieve the economic recovery that US President Barack Obama has failed to deliver, but his speech was overshadowed by a bizarre cameo by Hollywood tough guy Clint Eastwood.

"If I am elected president of these United States, I will work with all my energy and soul to restore that America, to lift our eyes to a better future," Romney told the conservative Republican Party on Thursday as he accepted its presidential nomination.

"That future is our destiny. That future is out there. It is waiting for us. Our children deserve it, our nation depends upon it, the peace and freedom of the world require it. And, with your help, we will deliver it."

Romney urged voters dissatisfied with a stalled economic recovery to "turn the page", and asked what had become of the enthusiasm that Obama instilled in the 2008 election.

He said Obama lacked the private-sector understanding to unleash job creation.

"I wish President Obama had succeeded, because I want America to succeed," Romney said.

"But his promises gave way to disappointment and division. This isn't something we have to accept."

The 65-year-old former governor from Massachusetts entered the Tampa Bay Times Forum to enthusiastic cheers, with delegates jockeying to snap photos of the presidential hopeful wading through the crowd to the podium.

"He absolutely hit home on all the things we need to do as a country to get back on track," Karen Pelzer of Colorado told DPA on the convention floor.

Eastwood, the opener for Romney, garnered the most post-conference commentary after he veered into a surreal conversation with an imaginary President Barack Obama represented by an empty chair.

His off-colour and at times rambling performance spawned an immediate debate on the Twittersphere between Republicans, who broadly loved it, and Democrats who said the 82-year-old multiple Oscar winner had clearly lost his marbles.

A raucous roar went up from the thousands of delegates as Eastwood, looking frailer than the unslinging cowboys he portrayed in his spaghetti Western heyday, stood onstage and grilled the imaginary Obama for failing to revive a flagging economy.

The Oscar-winning director of Million-Dollar Baby and star of Spaghetti Westerns like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly looked down several times at the empty chair, as if he was listening to Obama criticise Republican presidential nominee Romney, whom Eastwood has endorsed.

Eastwood spoke about how he had been moved by Obama's message of hope and change in 2008, but then grew disillusioned by failed policies and Obama's inability to reduce the unemployment rate below eight per cent.

"I think it may be time for, what do you think, maybe a businessman," said Eastwood, referring to Romney, who became fabulously wealthy as a successful private equity investor.

"When somebody does not do the job, you've gotta let them go," he said of Obama, as he then drew a finger sharply across his throat.

Eastwood's 12-minute appearance exploded Twitter and other social media, where the fad suddenly slapped with the hash tag #Eastwooding" - in which people post photos of empty chairs - spread like wildfire.

Obama himself got into the act, tweeting "This seat's taken" to his 19 million followers and attaching a link to a fundraising web page.

The social media commentary grew so fast, with tweets from celebrities and unknowns alike, that several websites compiled best-of lists of Eastwood remarks.

Convention speeches are the major-party presidential nominees' best opportunities to communicate directly to a national television audience.

Romney sought to showcase to voters both his policies and his personal side, telling stories about his parents and his wife, Ann, with whom he has five sons.

With a long business career, Romney gets high marks in voter surveys on the key issue of the economy but has trailed Obama in personal popularity.

Romney offered a five-point plan to "create 12 million new jobs".

As part of that plan, Romney pledged energy independence by 2020, "taking full advantage" of North America's fossil, nuclear and renewable energy resources.

He vowed to improve job skills, give all parents choice in their children's schools, and to "make trade work for America" through new trade agreements and "unmistakable consequences" for countries that "cheat" in trade practices.

Romney said he would cut federal borrowing and put the country "on track" to a balanced budget. He promised to "champion" small businesses by reducing taxes, simplifying regulations and "repealing and replacing" the 2010 health insurance reforms signed by Obama.

Romney spoke of restoring the United States' leadership role in the world.

"We will honour America's democratic ideals, because a free world is a more peaceful world," he said. "This is the bipartisan foreign policy legacy of Truman and Reagan. And under my presidency we will return to it once again."

Romney accused Obama of wavering in support for Israel, failing to stop Iran's alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons and denying missile defence to Poland. He criticised the Obama administration for easing of sanctions on Cuba's communist government and taking a soft line with Russia.

  • Follow us: 
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Youtube