The Only Clint Eastwood Video You Have to Watch Before His #GOP2012 Speech

A film declared "fascist" by angry liberal critics. (Eastwood said he didn't mind, so long as they paid to see it.) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Harry_Callahan.JPG">Wikimedia</a>

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


Tonight’s “mystery speaker” at the GOP convention in Tampa is not hologram Gipper, but the non-hologram Dirty Harry, sources confirmed to numerous media outlets.

After a few days of rabid Twitter-based speculation, the Romney campaign revealed that legendary actor/director Clint Eastwood is slated to speak at the Republican National Convention some time after a musical performace by American Idol Taylor Hicks, but before a speech by Marco Rubio. Eastwood threw his weight behind Romney earlier this month, when endorsing the former Massachusetts governor at an Idaho fundraiser.

Instead of analyzing Eastwood’s ideological leanings (which he has described as a blend of Milton Friedman and Noam Chomsky), take a gander at the only footage you really need to see before his convention address. Here he is, with the president of the United States

Full disclosure: I’m an unabashed fan of the 82-year-old filmmaker, whatever his politics. But as the self-professed libertarian and “Eisenhower Republican” is going all-in for Romney/Ryan 2012, it is worth reading this:

Eastwood: These people who are making a big deal out of gay marriage? I don’t give a fuck about who wants to get married to anybody else! Why not?!…They go on and on with all this bullshit about “sanctity”—don’t give me that sanctity crap! Just give everybody the chance to have the life they want.

…right next to this:

Romney: On my watch, we fought hard and prevented Massachusetts from becoming the Las Vegas of gay marriage…When I am president, I will preserve the Defense of Marriage Act and I will fight for a federal amendment defining marriage as a relationship between one man and one woman!

I am not suggesting a supporter must agree with everything his or her candidate believes or says; just throwing it out there.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate