Clint and his "Empty Obama Chair" speech at the Republican National Convention will go down in infamy as one of his most peculair moments in the public eye. To me, it was a terribly weird, psychotherapy session in which his therapist asked him to talk to Obama about his thoughts and concerns while pretending Obama was present and sitting in a chair to his side. It left me wondering if the next exercise would be his therapist bringing out a foam bat for him to hit the invisible Obama as a way to release his anger.
Getting to the meat of the issue, like many Republicans, Clint is oversimplifying the issues Obama and the United States are confronting today. He mentions Gitmo to the invisible Obama and asks why didn't you shut it down. It takes Congress to make these things happen. Remember that, Clint, when things don't happen quick enough for you. Also, you say Mitt would bring the troops home from Afghanistan tomorrow rather than give a projected date like Obama has done. Well, again, you oversimplify. It takes a number of years, months, and days to get the soldiers and equipment out of a war zone. Equipment has to be decontaminated; soldiers must be brought home orderly, and, from an administrative standpoint, it could be a disaster without standard operating procedures in place to bring them back to the states; then, there's the issue of leaving with some semblance of diplomacy.
Let's not forget all the empty promises that he accuses Obama of making to the American public. You know politicians do that, Clint. It's par for the course. Any person around the globe who trusts a politician campaigning for an office to fulfill each promise he makes is wackadoo. Maybe I'm jaded, but politics makes you jaded when you learn a little bit about politics.
I think my favorite moment is at about the 4:19 mark when Obama tells him to shut up, and he replies, "What do you mean shut up?" Then there's the bawdy line at about the 6:20 mark when Clint says to Obama, "What's that?," and he says "I can't tell Romney to do that to himself. You're crazy." Crazy, psssh! You bought a one way ticket to Crazy Town, Clint, when you gave the mystery guest speech at the RNC.
It could be that Clint lost his mind when his wife signed on to do a reality show on E!. I know that if those idiot fool daughters and wife were mine and were running around my house burning Hermes Birkin bags that cost around $100,000 while millions of Americans are unemployed I'd be talking gibberish to an empty chair too.
Whether you are Republican or Democrat, I think we can cross party lines to agree this was very unconventional behavior. Get it? Get it?
I enjoyed your take on this, Vicki, and thanks for posting! But to me, the most baffling part of Eastwood's statements about Afghanistan was when he said we have to bring the troops home and everyone cheered ...
ReplyDeleteSince when do Republicans want to end the war in Afghanistan? Mittens has said he won't negotiate with the Taliban and that we'll stay there until we've killed every individual who poses a threat to America. It sounds great to stay there until our mission is accomplished, but what does that even mean? How do we define victory in Afghanistan? I don't think anyone on either side can answer that question.
Eastwood made these comments under the cloak of supporting our troops, which is always code for supporting their mission and funneling endless amounts of money to the defense budget. First of all, I'd like to meet an American citizen who doesn't support the troops. Everyone supports the troops! As the comedian Mike Birbiglia put it: We have to support the troops, because if they weren't the troops, I'd be the troops, and I would suck as 'the troops'.
I think the larger point though is that is sounds great to bring home our soldiers from Afghanistan, but the fact is the Republicans have not presented a plan or timetable for doing this. Support for the war is low, and even lower still is the amount of attention Americans are paying to it, but as you said, drawing down a large scale conflict is complicated. Besides, all those Republicans banging the war drums for a confrontation with Iran should step back and assess the two most recent wars we have been involved in and see if the troops, or the American people, are ready for another war where the definition of victory is even more unclear.
Damn straight, Casey! You say it much more eloquently than me especially with all of your intricate details, and I appreciate your thoughtful comment.
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