OK, I’m dumb. I totally didn’t pick up on it last night- even cringed a little and felt sorry for the old man kinda making a fool of himself on national television. Oh, how wrong I was. Watching again this morning I realized that Clint Eastwood delivered the most devastating sucker-punch yet to the fatuous Hegelian nanny-staters that currently reside at 1600 Pennsylvania.
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Channeling Jimmy Stewart ha-ha! From Belmont Club:
It was an old man’s delivery, but overstatedly so for effect. It was a cutting delivery and for that reason delivered in low key. But for all of Clint Eastwood’s rhetorical cleverness at the Republican Convention, the speech derived its effectiveness precisely because it wasn’t one of those “I take this platform tonight with pen in hand, bearing in mind the immortal words of Clancy M. Duckworth” type orations. It wasn’t the speech of someone who was running for office.
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There was no malice in it. Just a tone of regret. But it was redolent of memory too. Of simple things a world away from the Mountaintop, of sentiments a light-year from dramatic arcs, and of ordinary happiness in a universe apart from grand bargains and high-flown rhetorical visions. They were truths that everyone who has ever worked knows but has somehow forgotten because they were so ordinary.
-a few of the better comments-
Yes that was an old man speaking. It was a free old man telling the President without malice, without fear or favour, “Mr President, you did not do your job and it’s time for you to go.”
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Walt Kowalski indeed. His zingers were delivered with a deftness that was awesome. People are used to soaring rhetoric or loud declarations at political conventions. His contrasting conversational tone was like a whisper after bombast — it drew you in and made you listen.
Key lines: “We own America” “The politicians work for us; they are our employees.” “When they don’t do the job it’s ok to let ‘em go.” He was speaking to every other Walt Kowalski listening. You are not a racist if you vote against Obama, you are simply letting an employee go who didn’t do a good job.
Bravo! Tour de force!!!
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This proves that Clint’s gambit was utterly successful and devastating. President Thin Skin just revealed a tell. Clint masterfully deployed Alinsky Rule #5 (RULE 5: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions.) The GOP must keep hammering at this chink in his armor relentlessly. Keep it funny and self-deprecating like Clint did, and you will also fulfill Rule 6 (RULE 6: “A good tactic is one your people enjoy.” They’ll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They’re doing their thing, and will even suggest better ones.). That’s why Breitbart was the ultimate happy warrior. He lived and breathed this stuff.
EDIT: It was bothering me because I felt like I had seen this style somewhere before, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. It just smacked me in the brain. This was Clint’s version of the drunken master from the old kung fu movies. No wonder I got such enjoyment out of it!
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empty chair = empty suit
I have to admit that, for the first time, I honestly have some hope for a change this November. Go ahead- make my day!
