Americans will get a second helping of Clint Eastwood's endorsement of Mitt Romney, but this time it's more serious, and does not involve talking to chairs. Eastwood narrates an ad for American Crossroads, the super PAC led by Karl Rove, that will air in seven swing states. The ad takes a dimmer view of the state of the American economy than the "Halftime in America" Super Bowl ad Eastwood narrated about the comeback of Detroit. "Obama’s second term would be a rerun of the first, and our country just couldn't survive that," Eastwood says in the new spot. "We need someone who could turn it around fast, and that man is Mitt Romney. There’s not much time left, and the future of our country is at stake."

American Crossroads official tells Politico's Mike Allen that Eastwood's ad is different than the typical "I'm a celebrity and I'm voting for…" ad. "No one cares about those. This is Clint adding his iconic weight to a message about the country that already resonates with people, and which they already believe in their hearts." The official says focus groups loved the ad in Florida and Ohio. And how could it not? Eastwood is a talented actor with an amazing voice. People also loved Eastwood's "Halftime in America" ad, in which he just as convincingly said lines that sounded straight from the Obama campaign: "It's Halftime in America. And our second half is about to begin. All that matters now is looking ahead and finding a way forward." One of the few people that ad did not test so well with was, what do you know, Karl Rove, who said he was "offended" by it.

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Elspeth Reeve