Trending: Eastwood’s ‘Obama chairs’ pop up in Dixie

Chair in front of Linda Jacobsen's neighbors' home. St. George, Utah, Sept. 3, 2012 | Photo by Linda Jacobsen; St. George News

ST. GEORGE – A trend of placing an empty chair in front of homes is sweeping across the nation in response to the speech given by Clint Eastwood Aug. 30 at the Republican National Convention 2012.

Chair in front of Washington Fields home, Washington, Utah, Sept. 5, 2012 | Photo courtesy of Tina Ogden; St. George News

During Eastwood’s speech, he had an empty chair placed next to him. “I’ve got Mr. Obama sitting here,” Eastwood said, while gesturing at the empty chair next to him. “I just was gonna ask him a couple of questions.”

Eastwood continued with his speech as if having a conversation with the imaginary ‘Obama’ sitting in the chair next to him. The discussion was about past events, decisions, and changes that have taken place while Obama has been serving our nation.

This comical presentation has resulted in many empty chairs popping up in front of homes here in Washington County.

Some who have placed empty chairs outside of their homes said it is because Obama is always gone golfing instead of doing his job, hence, the chair is empty.

“If you didn’t watch the GOP convention then you wouldn’t get the humor or the message of the empty chair,” local resident Linda Jacobsen said. “It’s a show of support and agreement with Clint Eastwood and for some of the things he said in his speech. He has received some unfair criticism from different directions but we thought he was great!”

Jacobsen has placed a chair out in front of her home in St George. “We added the golf clubs because our president likes golf and it’s his chair,” Jacobsen said.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2012, all rights reserved.

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13 Comments

  • Karen September 6, 2012 at 6:38 am

    It’s hard to believe that the good people of Washington County would want to remind everyone of the vulgar comments that Clint Eastwood made during his tasteless speech at the Republican Convention. Perhaps they never saw the actual speech but just heard about it or saw a sanitized version on youtube. I won’t remind people what he said but it is easy to find his speech and find the same vulgarities repeated twice, first about Romney, then about the President.

    As far as the empty chair trend “sweeping the nation”, it seems to be a figment of the writer’s imagination. Oh, and “Brett” when you get around to putting the youtube speech in at the bottom of the article, please include the full speech, not the sanitized version. Then the readers can make the decision themselves if they want to be associated with Mr. Eastwood’s display of typical Hollywood vulgarity.

    • Avatar photo Joyce Kuzmanic September 6, 2012 at 7:04 am

      Oh Karen – thank you. My mistake for publishing before we got the YouTube embedded. We will update this story to include it this morning. And yes, we’re including the full speech.

      • Dghws September 6, 2012 at 10:00 pm

        Thank you Joyce for including the full speech! I enjoyed watching it again. What a down to earth and real look by Mr. Eastwood at some very serious concerns. I will be putting an empty chair out in my yard this evening to not only ask the same questions (still awaiting the answers from President Obama) and to also show my support of Mr. Eastwood. As far as the vulgarity of the language he didn’t say but implied. The vulgarity of what wasn’t said but implied is just as vulgar as what President Obama doesn’t say to those who are without work, who are no better off today than they were 3 years ago, and who built their own businesses.

  • Pheo September 6, 2012 at 7:35 am

    The idea that Obama is choosing golf over his job is laughable.

    The president’s schedule is publicly available.

    President Obama has been on vacation 78 days from 2009 to 2011. At the three year mark into their first terms, George W. Bush spent 180 days at his ranch in Crawford, Texas and Ronald Reagan spent 112 vacation days at his ranch in California.

    So what if Obama has played more rounds of golf than Bush did? (He has played just over 100 rounds of golf in four years, an average of one round every two weeks.)

    But don’t let facts get in the way of your bitterness.

  • Wes September 6, 2012 at 9:21 am

    I loved the speech. It’s uptight people like you that need to move to Cuba so you can have your Communist lifestyle.

  • DirtyHarry September 6, 2012 at 1:02 pm

    I’m not sure who the “bitter” person is that you’re referring to, Mr. Eastwood? It seems more that it’s the “left” that is bitter, as to attack Mr. Eastwood and his brilliant, un-telepromted speech. Jay-Z just can’t fill the void that the DNC lost when their big ticket “star power” Oprah jumped ship after having her multi-billion dollar media corporation crumble to the ground in the wake of her support for Obama, which is the same thing he has done to the country over the last four years.

    When I read Liberal media rags like CNN, and how they have disgracefully put a spin on the Eastwood speech as being “out of touch” and “Angry old white man”, the disrespect they show to one of the most iconic American actors in history, only goes to show the lengths to which liberals will stoop in order to support their agenda and smear the opposition. Now that’s bitterness.

    Mr. Eastwood is undoubtedly one of the most revered figures in Hollywood, with a long and distinguished career as both an actor, and a director. It should be obvious to anyone with a modicum of common sense, that as an actor, he was using the invisible chair as a “prop” for him to play against, and again, unlike Obama, Mr. Eastwood didn’t need a teleprompter to deliver his message. He left some of that to the imagination of the audience, although apparently some people were unable to grasp the artistry of his delivery, because the liberal mind does not operate on intangibles ordinarily.

    Lastly, I heard ZERO profanity in his speech. ZERO. Here is what was said, “What do you want me to tell Romney?” Eastwood asked the empty chair. “I can’t tell him to do that to himself … you’re getting as bad as Biden … of course we all know Biden is the intellect of the Democratic Party. Kind of a grin with a body behind it …”
    There are a few hundred euphemisms that could be inserted in the “blank space”, but if you chose something vulgar to hear in your head, don’t blame it on Clint, blame it on your knee-jerk liberal reactionary thinking, and the spoon fed brainwashing of the main stream liberal media.

    Lastly, empty chair day WAS a national phenomena, and not a figment of the author’s imagination. Google it, and there is a plethora of pictures and stories from across the nation. It’s the perfect “icon” for Obama, who has in fact been absent from his post as of late. Recent reports show that Obama has spent 100 days away from his duties since the beginning of the year for, you guessed it, FUND RAISING. That is more than double the number of days Bush spent in the ENTIRE 18 months leading up to his last election. http://washingtonexaminer.com/obamas-numbers-vacations-16-golf-90-fundraisers-100/article/326531#.UEj3HI3iafQ

    The sad thing is, all the information is out here, it’s just that most people never bother to “fact check”.

    So, what’s that you say? You have a rebuttal?
    Go ahead, make my day.

  • Murat September 6, 2012 at 1:34 pm

    It is laughable how easily influenced the local peasants are. Stupid memes spread among them like STDs in the MTV crowd.

    • Dghws September 6, 2012 at 10:04 pm

      Why must you always call names and make fun of everyone who isn’t you or who does not think like you? You will be a lonely, lonely man with only your delusions to keep you company. Why don’t you comment on the article or give your opinion about it instead?

      • Care/Share September 7, 2012 at 8:59 am

        Actually you nailed it. The person posting under this name was one of the residents at the Cliff Inn Hotel on the boulevard when it was damaged by fire, and has since been displaced from his room. He spends his days using the free internet at the library b/c he just has nowhere else to go. He’d have you believe he lives a life of luxury and opulence, but it’s just not the case. He’ll also get on here and deny it until he’s blue in the face b/c he’s very proud. His ego has taken a real beating lately, and he’s just really down on his luck right now. But we’re trying to help him turn it around.

        • Murat September 7, 2012 at 1:52 pm

          These are all blatant lies, including the one about you trying to help me. You are a malicious peasant!

        • Dghws September 7, 2012 at 7:15 pm

          Thank you Care/Share for explaining. I’m sure there are lots of people that would be willing to help Murat get back on his feet. I just wish that he’d be nicer to others, make constructive comments, and learn to get along with people. Him having different opinions and values is fine because it means he is real…but, having differing opinions is no reason to spew a non-stop slurry of name calling and put downs. Using this forum as his personal podium has grown offensive and I grew tired of being part of the silent majority.

          • Murat September 10, 2012 at 6:44 am

            I call it like I see it. Most of my ‘elite’ or ‘upper-class’ (whichever you like) friends exercise the utmost care in how they communicate, especially when the commoners–or peasants, as I prefer–are listening. They are well aware of the ever present threat of a popular revolt and of course wish to prevent it at all costs while last minute affairs are attended to. I have long been wary of the general public and lately I simply don’t care if my communications offend. I make no apologies for my status or views in life. I will condescend until the cows come home, because it’s part of who I am, and part of who we are. We of the so-called 1% view you and largely everyone else of your ilk as stupid animals. We own the technology that’s making you obsolete. I have a friend in Singapore that just last week took delivery of a unit that can produce virtually any vehicle imaginable if it can fit within a volume of 6 x 12 x 24 meters. We’re talking anything from a fighter jet to a Ferrari, all with base-element feedstock–carbon, aluminum, copper, etc. No more need for a global supply chain. You’re already dead and don’t even know it yet. Meanwhile these fools are talking at empty chairs.

  • Karen September 6, 2012 at 3:30 pm

    No one said there was profanity in Clint’s speech last week, only vulgarity. The two words mean quite different things. Even the solid Republican governor, Scott Walker of Wisconsin said the speech made him “cringe.”

    And here’s a quote the Deseret News which no one would accuse of being a liberal publication:
    “Note to future Republican presidential nominees: Beware of any movie star who says, What your family friendly campaign needs is for me to get on stage and pretend the president is saying vulgar and obscene things.”

    The Deseret News said it all. So, for those who have an empty chair on their driveways, think about that.

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