The day after Mitt Romney’s convention speech discussing how he can help families regain a fistful of dollars, I read more about Clint Eastwood and his chair than the Republican candidate.
Not afraid to throw down the gauntlet, President Obama’s people showed us the chief executive’s chair. A piece in The New York Times discussed the concept of how people, walking a tightrope in their lives, speak to empty chairs. Some Republicans insisted the media was making a mockery out of nothing and Dirty Harry and his criticism of the President connected with real people who may actually live by the bridges of Madison County. Others posted about “Eastwooding” by showing the good, the bad and the ugly pictures of themselves with empty chairs.
Any which way you can look at this, Clint Eastwood’s performance will not determine the outcome of this election. For now, the media is simply fascinated by the sudden impact of the actor. But in a perfect world, I wouldn’t advise an organization risk overshadowing its star speaker, especially one trying to capture the hearts and minds in every which way but loose. Someone must play the enforcer and prevent this from happening. Avoid distractions and don’t leave your star in the dust. Otherwise, you will be unforgiven.