Even though Allahpundit ruined it and spoiled the surprise, the guessing game surrounding the “mystery speaker” at the RNC was a welcome change from the scripted beauty pageant these things have become over time. It wasn’t the only surprise, of course. Some of Mitt’s long time friends who spoke about his work with people in the community as a young man, including aiding families caring for children with terminal illnesses, brought the room to silence, tears, and finally thunderous applause.

But who was the special guest? Would it be a hologram of Ronald Reagan? A cloned version of Seamus the dog? Ed Morrissey? (Oh, come on… you were all suspicious, given that Ed supposedly didn’t come to the convention.)

But no. Unlike the very personal messages delivered by long time family friends, our mystery guest was there to deliver a more stern message. Clint Eastwood has long been known as one of the few conservatives in Hollywood with the standing to speak his mind without fear of being hounded out by the town’s controlling factions. And the star didn’t fail to deliver.

He assured the crowd that there are conservatives and moderates in Hollywood, but said that they don’t “hot dog it around” like some others. He talked about how he was willing to give Obama a chance when he was elected and how it was an emotional moment for many Americans. But the real tragedy, as he put it, was that there are 23 million Americans without jobs. And maybe it’s time for somebody else to take a crack at the job. Clint was not coming on as some sort of hard right winger. He mentioned his opposition to both wars, but criticized Obama for his handling of Afghanistan and foreign policy in general.

It was an interesting choice. He kept talking to an empty chair next to him on the stage, pretending that President Obama was sitting in it. The comedy fell a bit flat at times, but he put on a heck of a show. Oh… and his comments about Joe Biden were not to be missed.

Exit quote from Dirty Harry: “When somebody does not do the job, we have to let them go.”

Video upcoming. You be the judge. And here it is.