Invisible tinfoil hat: Clint Eastwood is a long-term plant for our side. [View all]

[Pale Blue Dot]

I know, I know, it sounds ridiculous. I mean, he's been a lifelong Republican, including spending time as a Republican mayor in California. Yet I've always believed that there's something fishy going on:

1. His most recent movies, which he produces and directs as well as scores (sometimes) have sometimes subtle, but often not-so-subtle, liberal overtones. Million Dollar Baby is the most obvious example, but it doesn't take a socialist to see liberal themes in Unforgiven, Invictus, Hereafter, J. Edgar, Mystic River and Changling. Probably the most right-wing movie he's made in the past 20 years is Flags of Our Fathers, and to balance that he made Letters From Iwo Jima, told from the Japanese point of view, in the same year.

2. As director and producer, he gets to choose the actors he works with. For some reason, he seems to always choose the most outspoken liberals in Hollywood: Matt Damon, Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Angelina Jolie... Morgan Freeman is one of his best friends!

So I am left with only 1 of 2 conclusions based on last night's performance: either he has really taken leave of all of his senses; or, he has been playing the Republicans for fools all this time and set out to deliberately make them look bad.

You decide.