'Eastwooding' meme explodes on Twitter after RNC speech

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Clint Eastwood earned plenty of bad reviews for his latest performance: a bizarre, rambling endorsement of Mitt Romney.

Eastwood carried on a kooky, long-winded conversation with an imaginary President Barack Obama, telling him that he failed to deliver on his promises, and it's time for Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan, to take over.

"Mr. President, how do you handle promises that you have made when you were running for election, and how do you handle them? I mean, what do you say to people?" he said at one point to the empty chair.

Twitter was instantly ablaze with comments mocking the Oscar-winning director of "Unforgiven" and "Million Dollar Baby."

Minutes after Eastwood began his speech, someone created an (at)InvisibleObama account on Twitter. It has already amassed 30,000 followers and counting.

"I heard that Clint Eastwood was channeling me at the RNC," tweeted comic actor Bob Newhart, known for his one-sided conversation bits. "My lawyers and I are drafting our lawsuit."

The 82-year-old actor and director also talked about Oprah Winfrey, Obama's unfulfilled promise to close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and lawyers. At one point, he referenced dismissing Obama and making a change.

"When somebody doesn't do the job, you gotta let 'em go," Eastwood said. The tough-guy actor of "Dirty Harry" fame then drew a finger across his throat.

The Obama campaign shot back afterward by tweeting a photo of the back of the president's chair, with Obama's head peeking over it, along with the line: "This seat's taken."

Romney's wife, Ann, said she appreciates Eastwood's support, even if the actor's monologue isn't earning rave reviews. Ann Romney said she did not know what to expect when Eastwood came on as a warm up act for the evening's speakers.

"He's a unique guy and he did a unique thing last night," she told "CBS This Morning."

Eastwood, a fiscal conservative who takes left-leaning stands on social issues such as gay marriage and environmental protections, made waves with conservatives earlier this year when he starred in a Super Bowl spot for Chrysler, a company that benefited from government support. Eastwood, who endorsed Romney earlier this month at a campaign event in Sun Valley, Idaho, and once served as mayor of Carmel, Calif., defended his appearance in the commercial, noting it had nothing to do with his politics.

Inside the convention, the crowd cheered Eastwood's entrance and shouted his famed catchphrase, "Go ahead, make my day." But backstage, stern-faced Romney aides winced at times as Eastwood's remarks stretched on. After his speech, Romney's camp defended Eastwood.

"He's an American icon," Romney spokeswoman Gail Gitcho told CNN's Piers Morgan. "You can't look at him at through the same political lens that you would other politicians. He's Clint Eastwood."

There was seemingly more discussion Thursday night on Twitter about Eastwood's awkward performance than Romney's actual acceptance speech.

Meanwhile, in the KOMO NewsRadio and KVI pod, employees took on the 'Eastwooding' meme, check out the photo gallery for their lighthearted take.