the problem with Clint shooting for Master Thespian ...

[phantom power]

The thing about attempting Clever Performance Techniques, like the empty chair gambit, is that there's a real fine line between "success" and "embarrassing abject failure."

If you're aiming for that kind of target, you better be sure you nail the bullseye. Whatever his intentions, Clint didn't hit that bullseye, and so he landed himself firmly in Embarrassing Failure territory.

[bigbrother05]

1. Bob Newhart tweeted that he was thinking of suing for stealing his bit

Clint should have spent more time listening/viewing Bob's old routines. Made his mark with one sided conversations as a stand up.

[phantom power]

2. it suddenly reminded me of an intern we had in church, long ago...

Where this young guy did a sermon in character as one of the Apostles. I forget which one, but it doesn't really matter. The thing I remember is that it easily could have been a disaster in all kinds of ways - it could have come off as pretentious, he could have been a lousy actor, etc.

But the guy pulled it off. And I think Clint's thing might have worked, if the delivery was better, maybe if it was shorter, better edited (edited at all?), if he'd rehearsed it better, prepped it more, yada yada. But in the end, it just didn't come off. And instead of being a victory, it became yet another enormous distraction and episode of ridicule for Romney.

[tama]

3. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

But anyone who does not see that the whole political class is Embarrassing Failure is nuts. Showing that Emperor has no clothes is embarrassing only to those who keep believing in invisible wardrobe.