Clint Eastwood's Republican convention surprise

Actor Clint Eastwood speaks during the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on August 30, 2012 in Tampa, Fla.

/ Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images

(CBS News) At the height of the tightly-scripted Republican National Convention, actor Clint Eastwood on Thursday made a "surprise" appearance, delivering a sometimes humorous, other times scathing speech - a convention moment that was ad-libbed, according to the Romney campaign.

Eastwood, who was reported to be the night's "mystery guest" earlier in the day, mocked President Obama, hitting the president on, among other things, the country's unemployment problem, Afghanistan and being a lawyer.

During his 10-minute remarks that began shortly after the broadcast networks began their special coverage of the convention at 10 p.m. ET, he quipped that Mr. Obama's supporters, including Oprah Winfrey, cried with optimism in 2008, adding, "I was even crying. And ... I haven't cried that hard since I found out that there is 23 million unemployed people in this country."

"Now that is something to cry for because that is a disgrace, a national disgrace, and we haven't done enough, obviously - this administration hasn't done enough to cure that," he said.

Fact Check: Eastwood entertained but stretched the truth

He went on to have a conversation with an empty chair - representing Mr. Obama - and criticized the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the president's change of heart on closing the U.S. prison at Guantanamo.

"When somebody doesn't do the job, you gotta let `em go," Eastwood said before making a throat-slashing motion. Eastwood endorsed the notion that troops should return "tomorrow" from Afghanistan and erroneously suggested that is Romney's position.

Full transcript of Eastwood's remarks

CBS News complete convention coverage

At one point, he interrupted his "conversation" with "Mr. Obama" and asked, "what do you want me to tell Romney? I can't tell him to do that. I can't tell him to do that to himself."

"You're crazy, you're absolutely crazy. You're getting as bad as [Vice President Joe] Biden," he added.

"Of course we all now Biden is the intellect of the Democratic party. Kind of a grin with a body behind it," said Eastwood.

He then went on to say he "never thought it was a good idea for attorneys to be president," referring to Mr. Obama's training as a lawyer.

Said Eastwood: "I think attorneys are so busy -- you know they're always taught to argue everything ... They are always devil's advocating this and bifurcating this and bifurcating that. You know all that stuff. But, I think it is maybe time -- what do you think -- for maybe a businessman. How about that?"

Eastwood closed by leading the audience in the words of his famous "Dirty Harry" character: "make my day."

[fredo-IsDead]

NEW YORK—According to publisher HarperCollins, 82-year-old actor Clint Eastwood's new autobiography, I...Where You're Alive And They—You Write A Book About You, will be released this October, just in time for the holiday book-buying season.

"When you write...it's just that so, these people are all in our lives, all of us, and he's—but you know about—I remember 50 years ago," reads an excerpt from a chapter titled "You See The Past And It Doesn't Hurt, I Don't Know." "They were saying, but I thought—people in your own life were something to be thought about—and they were saying that back then, and even now, and I just thought, this is great."

"My mom was crying, I was crying, and my dad—and I haven't...but I thought, yeah, and Million Dollar Baby was then," the excerpt continues. "You do that."

Press materials from HarperCollins confirmed the 750-page volume chronicles Eastwood's upbringing in Northern California ("I was born, and uh...uh...uh"), his personal life as a husband and father ("Kids are kids now, and that is a thing that we...and I think a lot about that"), and his long, storied career in Hollywood ("You make movies, and then they make them, and then they get made").

In addition, a HarperCollins publicist told reporters that Eastwood writes about his political leanings in the chapter "My Time As Mayor, And Listen Here Because This Is Important, And Then You Go And They Go And Everyone Goes, And You're Writing On The Computer Now, And Small Government Bailouts In Nice Weather, The Academy Award Was, And You Think: 'Global Warming's A Problem.'"

The book also reportedly includes an intimate portrayal of Eastwood's mother, Margaret.

"So I've got my mom sitting here, and here's this terrific woman, a great gal—and I just saw Jon Voight—and it was great, it was nice, people were talking and did I mention Jon Voight because he should be in here, in the book that is," Eastwood writes. "But I think it's just important you realize...movies are being made with you in them. At least that's what people think, and that's okay."

"Right?" the book continues.

Representatives from HarperCollins said Eastwood's autobiography will be available in hardcover or digital for $29.95

[mittlovesdogs]

AOCGUY is suffering from the age old sickness of sour grapes. I know the symptoms because I suffered the same ones when Eastwood made the commercial during the Superbowl in january. All the democrats were singing Eastwood praises then and all the republicans were calling him old, out of it, demented, etc. Eastwood said a lot of real things at the GOP convention as he did in the commercial. Eastwood is real. Opinionated, observant, and completely right about Obama. In the real world if you don't do the job you are let go. I hope AOCGUY doesn't choak on his sourgrapes. I think Obama would have moved a comatose Eastwood on to the Democratic Convention stage if Eastwood was willing. Fortunately Eastwood wouldn't be caught dead there.

[RollotheNorman]

Not really, most of us Dems understood that Eastwood was a RepubliCON stooge from way back. The RepubliCONs in January that got up in arms just didn't realize he was unclear because he was semi-senile, as a large number of RepubliCONs are themselves.

[mittlovesdogs]

Of course Clint might be a little wrong on the lettng Obama go. From what I hear you can get unemployment from getting fired. Just think, Obama could be getting taxpayers dollars for doing nothing. Oh wait a minute, he already is.

[BOB-C]

MITT ROMNEY: Eclipsed by Paul Ryan, outshined by wife Ann, upstaged by Dirty Harry.

[gofast4u]

I love Clint Eastwood. I don't care what you Democraps say. Actually what the GOP should have done was take all the freekin' money that was spent on the convention and given it to all the food banks throughout the USA. DEMS too. All of them are a bunch of frickin' liars and thieves! Take your pick guys...it's the lesser of two EVILS.Good luck. Hell, my great-grandchildren will probably be speaking CHINESE by then...

[Verascity]

A long-time Eastwood fan, I was embarrassed for him.

Also embarrassing - for the GOP: Eastwood has previously come out in support of gay marriage, a woman's right to choose AND has publicly stated he thinks climate change in influenced by humans. Ooops!

[DR_MH]

I don't mind if gays marry, nor for a woman's right to choose, although the later term stuff might be a different story. Yet, I suppose Romney because I realize social issues don't mean anything in an Obama economy. Social Issues are Moot with a President who is spending and will increase spending beyond all hope. Wealth and Poverty - George Gilder: Gilder explains and makes the case for supply-side economics, proves the moral superiority of free-market capitalism, and shows why supply-side economics are more effective at decreasing poverty than government-regulated markets.

Now, in this new and completely updated edition of Wealth and Poverty, Gilder compares America's current economic challenges with her past economic problems-particularly those of the late 1970s-and explains why Obama's big-government, redistributive policies are doing more harm than good for the poor.

Making the case that supply-side economics and free market policies are-and always will be-the answer to decreasing America's poverty rate and increasing her prosperity, Wealth & Poverty offers solutions to America's current economic problems and hope to those who fear that our best days are behind us.
http://www.politico.com/bookshelf/books/details/9781596988095/wealth-and-poverty-by-george-gilder

[purduegrad98]

I agree - I felt for him, but he did say he was a moderate and not a "rep". I am a yellow dog democrat and feel like the older I get the closer to moderate I become. I think in the end Mr. Eastwood cares about Americans and their welfare and less about political leanings. There had to be a moment during President Obama's term when something really set him off - or Vice President Biden. He did seem particularly peeved at him.
Finally, he is an actor not an orator, there is a vast difference between the two. He was live this time, so he could not do take after take!

[Louisiana1138]

I thought it was interesting satire that hit home well with folks who gave President Obama a chance in 2008 but are not impressed with his performance in 2012. It was not intended for the Koolaid Drinkers.

BTW, know how you can tell the Koolaid Drinkers? They are the ones bashing Mr. Eastwood over a little playful humor. They love making jokes about the right, but CANNOT take it if you joke about their side.

Prediction: they will bash me too..... I'm just sayin'..... :)

[AOCGUY]

They are also the ones that think this pathetic display was good.

[AOCGUY]

In all seriousness I must say that while I believe that Eastwood was a B-movie acor at bets, he was a very good director. Considering that I am saddened to see him him in such a sad state. My father suffers from dementia occasioanlly and watching Eastwood painfully reminded me of the tragic symtoms of this disease. I wonder if it is catching as my u8ncle, before he died lived in the same neighborhood and we all may have been infected.

[mittlovesdogs]

AOCGUY is suffering from the age old sickness of sour grapes. I know the symptoms because I suffered the same ones when Eastwood made the commercial during the Superbowl in january. All the democrats were singing Eastwood praises then and all the republicans were calling him old, out of it, demented, etc. Eastwood said a lot of real things at the GOP convention as he did in the commercial. Eastwood is real. Opinionated, observant, and completely right about Obama. In the real world if you don't do the job you are let go. I hope AOCGUY doesn't choak on his sourgrapes. I think Obama would have moved a comatose Eastwood on to the Democratic Convention stage if Eastwood was willing. Fortunately Eastwood wouldn't be caught dead there.

[AOCGUY]

by Drumitupyakaheima August 31, 2012 1:25 PM EDT
Clint made his own decision to speak. The GOP does not expect actors to profess their dedication publically.

So Clint just walked up on stage without permission????

[romneyforpres]

Not without permission, of course not. He was invited to speak, for a three minute slot.
As ABC news put it tonight..."No one was prepared for what was about to take place, when an aging gunslinger strolled up on stage and went rouge".
That's what I'm taking about...the attitude, shear determination, and subtle influence of a man who's had enough of our leaders apathy, incompetence, and misuse of office.
Always a man of few words, for eleven minutes Clint Eastwood's speech went beyond a mere performance worthy of a lifetime achievement award.
It spoke from the very heart of an entire nation who's goodness and grace have been mistaken for a sign of weakness by our enemies without and from within.

This speech was not some incoherent ramblings of an old man or the words of a barbarian as it were to the ranks of those who do not understand, but practically reached a level that could be called in some ways a "profound spiritual experience".

Serving to unify and restore the commonality of a party on the verge of being splintered and divided, Eastwood's self-depreciating humor and aggressive anecdotal musing nearly ran the risk of stealing the entire show from Romney in the process.
But it had to be done.
That said, Romney's speech as Eastwood put it was truly stellar, not in delivery but in content.
Something real and yet powerful in it's simplicity. I've not heard anything from a politician that was so genuine and encouraging since Reagan and in some ways Romney even surpassed him.

To tell the truth from what I saw last night, Mr. Romney seems to be a man that's genuine, with almost a squeaky clean innocence.
So much so, I'm afraid he may be too good a man to be in politics.
In today's political system of trade-offs and compromise, I worry what may happen to him if he is elected to such a powerful position.
You know they say if something looks to good to be true it probably is...

Either he will have to bend where it bends, or it will break him when he doesn't.
This country is so far gone morally, it may be to late to turn it around no matter who's elected.
It hurts me to have to say that. I'm afraid unlike Mr. Eastwood, I'm not much of a comedian, sorry folks.
But you know he said in his speech he found himself doing some crying too...

[AOCGUY]

A few months ago I went to see Alan Jackson. Watching Eastwood's speech was a bit like that. I hadn't realized that either had got so old. Of course Jackson could still sing.