Eastwood: Weird but meaty [updated]

I thought Clint Eastwood's conversation-with-chair shtick was pretty awkward. Tweeters who likened him to Grandpa Simpson weren't far off, in my opinion. But Eastwood's substantive remarks to the crowd at the RNC were exactly on target and, well, made my day. Here's some good commentary from Political Clown Parade on Clint's, er . . . unique -- that's it! -- improv performance last night:

I don’t care what the Left, whose hair is on fire right now, says about Clint Eastwood’s Q & A with an invisible POTUS last night at the RNC Convention.  I don’t care.

This thin-skinned, crybaby of a president has Clint Eastwood in his head.  All the evidence anyone needs is that the errand boy sent by grocery clerks responded on Facebook and Twitter saying, “This seat’s taken.”

What’s puzzling about Eastwood’s empty chair is why Obama felt he had to respond to the whimsical superstar?  The only answer is he feels threatened.  What we see is an actor’s roughest mockery of a politician and the politician lacking the discipline to let it go.

Right. Obama cares, Eastwood doesn't. (You could tell from his hair.)

Here's the meaty part, which was good and red:

Eastwood reminded conventioneers and viewers, “I would just like to say something, ladies and gentlemen.  Something that I think is very important. It is that, you, we own this country.  We, we own it.  It is not you (looking down at the empty chair) owning it and not politicians owning it.  Politicians are employees of ours.  And, so they are just going to come around and beg for votes every few years.  It is the same old deal.  But I just think it is important that you realize that you’re the best in the world.  Whether you are a Democrat or Republican or whether you’re a Libertarian or whatever, you are the best.  And we should not ever forget that.  And when somebody does not do the job, we’ve got to let them go.”

The astute John Hayward has an interesting take:

Clint was there to tell [independents] it’s OK to find Obama, his ugly campaign operation, and his increasingly shrill band of die-hard defenders ridiculous. It’s OK to laugh at them. [. . .]

We already knew it was OK to make fun of the absurd Joe Biden – which should not diminish anyone’s anger that such an vicious and foolish man was placed a heartbeat from the Presidency – but Clint took it up a notch: “Joe Biden is kind of a grin with a body behind it.” Perfect. [. . .]

And it’s OK to let Obama go, as Eastwood said, in what I think will prove to be his most widely quoted line: “When somebody does not do the job, you’ve got to let them go.” The significance of that statement, coupled with the raspy straight-shooting delivery of Dirty Harry, should not be underestimated.

Was there a method to Clint's madness?

Actually, it was interesting to note how hard some of Clint’s deadly serious lines hit, because of the strange comedy surrounding them.  Is that what he had in mind all along? 

I have no idea. But read the rest.
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Many thanks to MichelleMalkin.com for the link.
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Do not miss Steyn's take: Play Clinty For Me
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I just watched it again and enjoyed it a lot more than I did last night. This time, I didn't feel anxious that he was going to get lost, and those moments of hesitation were fewer and briefer than they seemed the first time. The bombs he dropped were more fun when I didn't have to worry that he was going to draw a blank and perhaps wander off. I do believe he knew what he was doing.

Jim Geraghty concurs: Could Eastwood have been much better than most thought?
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