 The singer, a longtime Democrat, ran up and hugged Nixon mid-speech in what appeared to be an unexpected and deeply awkward embrace. In 2012, Clint Eastwood graced the RNC stage in support of Mitt Romney, who was hoping to defeat sitting President Barack Obama and his then-Vice President Joe Biden. Eastwood framed his speech as a conversation with Obama, who of course wasn't there, so Eastwood spoke to an empty chair. What do you want me to tell Romney?