GOP convention buzz: And the 'mystery speaker' is ... Clint Eastwood!
| Tampa, Fla.
Clint Eastwood of 鈥淢ake my day鈥� fame is the current thinking among those predicting the identity of Thursday night's mystery speaker at the Republican National Convention.
"It's him," Romney family friend Paul Gilbert told the US News 鈥淲ashington Whispers鈥� blog. "I can confirm that, 100 percent." Mr. Gilbert served as the GOP presidential candidate's Arizona state chair.
Fox News is also saying it鈥檚 Mr. Eastwood: 鈥淥ne Republican source told FoxNews.com that Eastwood is indeed the mystery speaker, following an online report that聽claimed the actor is planning to travel to Tampa for the convention.鈥� CNN is reporting the same.
Like a round from Dirty Harry鈥檚 massive revolver, the Eastwood buzz ricocheted elsewhere, including at PolicyMic.com (which bills itself as a voice for millennials), where the headline is 鈥淩NC Schedule of Speakers: LIVE Mystery Speaker is Clint Eastwood.鈥�
Eastwood is prominent on the Monitor鈥檚 list of five likely mystery men (or women) designed to generate expectation and enthusiasm on the convention floor: Sarah Palin, Donald Trump, Mitch Daniels, a 鈥渢icked-off CEO,鈥� and Eastwood.
But really, Ms. Palin and The Donald have too much baggage and Gov. Daniels 鈥� a decent man and an effective governor 鈥� is too 鈥� well, think Paul Ryan without the pizzazz.
In any case, the official convention speaking schedule for the night includes a slot for 鈥渢o be announced鈥� just before Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida introduces Romney.
Although his political image isn鈥檛 as hard-edged as the late Charlton Heston's of 鈥渃old, dead hands鈥� pro-gun fame, Eastwood endorsed John McCain in 2008 and has done the same for Romney this year. He鈥檚 described President Obama as 鈥渁 greenhorn鈥� who 鈥渄idn鈥檛 have experience in decision-making."
When Republicans speak of 鈥淒irty Harry,鈥� they usually mean Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) of Nevada 鈥� the guy who charged that Romney hadn鈥檛 paid any taxes for the past decade.
But tonight at least, the reference seems likely to be to the 鈥渕ake my day鈥� guy himself.
