TAMPA, Fla. — GOP convention mystery speaker Clint Eastwood may have inadvertently distracted web crawlers from staying tuned for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s acceptance speech.

The grizzled Hollywood icon elected to bypass the jugular and shoot for America’s funnybone, conducting a somewhat rambling and often bizarro conversation with an empty chair theoretically occupied by absentee President Barack Obama.

While some attendees on the convention floor seemed to lap up the unscripted presentation, others were seen nervously checking their watches. Reaction from the Twittersphere ranged from bemusement to sympathy.

Critics pummeled the former mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea with all kinds of colorful commentary.

 


https://twitter.com/kidfromkidnplay/status/241360805164118016

https://twitter.com/ChrisLoesch/status/241358565212835842

 


https://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/241359375493648384

https://twitter.com/politicoroger/status/241359901526458369

 


https://twitter.com/TheReidReport/status/241360747823763456

Meanwhile, an @InvisibleObama account rapidly amassed more followers than your average Member of Congress.