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Mitt Romney speech: no sparks, no passion, just Clint Eastwood's maverick warmup Mitt Romney speech: no sparks, no passion, just Clint Eastwood's maverick warmup
(about 3 hours later)
As a piece of screen entertainment – its most crucial audience being undecided voters among the 30 million American TV viewers – Mitt Romney's acceptance speech was hindered by one famous American movie star but helped by another.As a piece of screen entertainment – its most crucial audience being undecided voters among the 30 million American TV viewers – Mitt Romney's acceptance speech was hindered by one famous American movie star but helped by another.
The hindrance was Ronald Reagan, against whose sleek reading of speeches all subsequent Republican presidential candidates have been found wanting. The help was Clint Eastwood, a surprise guest speaker. Romney has pledged to make Medicare work better for American seniors and the 82-year-old Eastwood looked, upsettingly, in need of some urgent attention after a bizarre performance in which he shambolically conversed with an empty stool supposed to represent President Obama.The hindrance was Ronald Reagan, against whose sleek reading of speeches all subsequent Republican presidential candidates have been found wanting. The help was Clint Eastwood, a surprise guest speaker. Romney has pledged to make Medicare work better for American seniors and the 82-year-old Eastwood looked, upsettingly, in need of some urgent attention after a bizarre performance in which he shambolically conversed with an empty stool supposed to represent President Obama.
So Romney was more impressive than Eastwood – at least in this version rather than the Dirty Harry one – but, like Bob Dole and John McCain among previous nominees, paled against Reagan.So Romney was more impressive than Eastwood – at least in this version rather than the Dirty Harry one – but, like Bob Dole and John McCain among previous nominees, paled against Reagan.
Roger Moore likes to joke that he offered directors only two acting styles: eyebrow raised or eyebrow level. But that's virtually gurning in comparison with Romney. His resting expression already featuring eyes slightly widened as if by surprise, he seemed able to provide only one facial variation: a double up-flick of the eyebrows for emphasis, sometimes accompanied by a blink.Roger Moore likes to joke that he offered directors only two acting styles: eyebrow raised or eyebrow level. But that's virtually gurning in comparison with Romney. His resting expression already featuring eyes slightly widened as if by surprise, he seemed able to provide only one facial variation: a double up-flick of the eyebrows for emphasis, sometimes accompanied by a blink.
Vocally as well, one size fitted all lines. A phrase summoning up Americans concerned about their "elderly mom living alone" clearly called for the throat-choke that a Reagan or Clinton would have brought but Romney sounded as if he was rattling through a list of social housing categories in a dull meeting. Vocally as well, one size fitted all lines. A phrase summoning up Americans concerned about their "elderly mom living alone" clearly called for the throat-choke that a Reagan or Clinton would have brought but Romney sounded as if he were rattling through a list of social housing categories in a dull meeting.
As uneasy speakers tend to do, he took the speech too fast and so stumbled and garbled more than even the notoriously inarticulate George W Bush. Obama was accused of having done something to "Israel under the bus", but it was unclear what as the verb was swallowed. A line about Americans filling up their cars was also mystifyingly mangled.As uneasy speakers tend to do, he took the speech too fast and so stumbled and garbled more than even the notoriously inarticulate George W Bush. Obama was accused of having done something to "Israel under the bus", but it was unclear what as the verb was swallowed. A line about Americans filling up their cars was also mystifyingly mangled.
He was not always well served by the speechwriters. An attempted Reaganesque flight about the "soles of Neil Armstrong on the moon leaving deep imprints on our souls" works better written, when the different spellings of can be seen. Verbally, it might come across with a gesture at the feet and then a beating of the breast, but, here, as elsewhere, the candidate remained as parade-straight as the US soldiers his speech strangely never mentioned. The cleverest trick was always using the generic word "church" for his faith, with "Mormon" occuring only once.He was not always well served by the speechwriters. An attempted Reaganesque flight about the "soles of Neil Armstrong on the moon leaving deep imprints on our souls" works better written, when the different spellings of can be seen. Verbally, it might come across with a gesture at the feet and then a beating of the breast, but, here, as elsewhere, the candidate remained as parade-straight as the US soldiers his speech strangely never mentioned. The cleverest trick was always using the generic word "church" for his faith, with "Mormon" occuring only once.
Suggesting that Romney's handlers well understand his limitations as a tub-thumber, the speech's best rhetorical flourish was an attack on the flourishes of rhetoric. Whereas Obama had promised to "slow the rise of the oceans and heal the planet", Romney's mission was "to help you and your family." Suggesting that Romney's handlers well understand his limitations as a tub-thumper, the speech's best rhetorical flourish was an attack on the flourishes of rhetoric. Whereas Obama had promised to "slow the rise of the oceans and heal the planet", Romney's mission was "to help you and your family."
That was one sound-bite he avoided chewing up. But, for this speech to work, Republicans will have to hope that Americans really are sick of fancy talkers in the White House.That was one sound-bite he avoided chewing up. But, for this speech to work, Republicans will have to hope that Americans really are sick of fancy talkers in the White House.