Clint Eastwood in 2011. Photo by gdcgraphics/Flickr

Take a moment and Google “Carmel Mayor Clint Eastwood.” A handful of links down, you’ll find this 2009 query:

“Is Clint Eastwood still the mayor of Carmel, California?”

The answer is no, not for more than 20 years. But for politicos and news outlets, it might as well have been yesterday.

Eastwood’s bona fides as the Republican-leaning mayor of Carmel, a small well-to-do town south of Monterey popular with tourists, are all over news coverage of the former actor’s speech Thursday night at the Republican National Convention (a performance being widely described this morning as bizarre, by the way). A search for “Carmel mayor” in Google News this morning returned 967 mentions of the address, with his term as mayor characterized as his ticket to the RNC stage.

For the record, Eastwood served one term as Carmel mayor, from 1986-1988. Articles and coverage of his term as mayor refer to him as non-partisan and Republican-leaning, although many posts about the RNC speech describe him as a Republican mayor. (ABC News reported last year that President George H.W. Bush considered Eastwood as a possible V.P.). Here’s how the BBC described Eastwood’s election:

He polled 2,166 against the 799 votes cast for current mayor Charlotte Townsend, a former librarian.

Two of Clint Eastwood’s supporters were also elected on to Carmel’s local council, giving him control of the five-member body.

Mr Eastwood, a resident of Carmel for 14 years, decided to run for mayor after a series of clashes with the council.

After being refused planning permission to renovate his restaurant, the movie star took legal action and had the decision overturned.

His campaign centred on relaxing the strict controls on business in the town of 4,000 residents.

People, meanwhile, described his campaign thusly:

By design, there are no rabble-rousing “Make My Day” slogans. Expecting a close election in this hamlet of tall pines, elegantly rustic homes and only 4,900 people, Eastwood fears that what he calls a “sideshow” atmosphere could cost him crucial votes. But the carnival has already come to town. Garry Trudeau has been spoofing the campaign in Doonesbury, and “Make My Day” buttons are being hawked all over Carmel.

So what did Eastwood accomplish as Carmel mayor? Here’s what The New York Times had to say 16 months into his term:

Under his gavel, the city has legalized the sale of ice cream cones, provided more public toilets, built new stairways to the town beach and expedited previously stalled efforts to expand Carmel’s library.

Mr. Eastwood has proved to be a shrewd political operator, appointing the publisher of the local newspaper, a potential source of criticism, to one vacancy on the City Planning Commission and appointing a prominent critic of his policies to another.

Wait, ice cream cones? From the Times again…

Along with other members of the City Council, who were elected with him in April 1986 in a rout of the prior administration, Mr. Eastwood overturned an ordinance that had restricted sales of fast-food, including ice cream cones.

Ice cream cones became a cause celebre in the campaign. The ordinance was evidence, Mr. Eastwood contended, that the previous administration was too hard on business. Now visitors can lawfully stroll down Carmel’s main street, Ocean Avenue, with ice cream cone in hand.

But Eastwood the politician couldn’t be separated from Eastwood the celebrity. Again, from the Times:

…when many residents discuss Mr. Eastwood’s mayorality, they separate the issue into two parts: first, his on-the-job performance; second, the substantial indirect effects of his celebrity status.

Over Mr. Eastwood’s objections, some merchants have responded to the invasion of fans by merchandising T-shirts, charms, posters, ashtrays, Christmas tree ornaments and other items with Mr. Eastwood’s likeness.

”Law, Order and Ice Cream,” one poster declares beneath a sketch of the Mayor. ”Thou Hast Made My Day,” proclaims another with the likenesses of Mr. Eastwood and Pope John Paul II, who is scheduled to visit Carmel in September.

CBS Sunday Morning offered this look back at Eastwood’s mayorship:

Eastwood remains a frequent presence in Carmel, and he still had a home in the town as of 2010. He owns the Mission Ranch Hotel and Restaurant on the edge of Carmel. And a portrait of him hangs in the Hog’s Breath Inn, a restaurant he once owned.

While reviews of Mission Ranch are generally positive, the reaction to Eastwood’s RNC speech has been mixed. You can find a good wrap-up of reaction by the Canadian broadcasting network the CBC on Storify. Here’s video of the speech. The imaginary person in the empty chair…that’s President Obama…

GOP candidate for Congress Ricky Gill, from Calif's 9th district, speaks at convention. (Mark Wilson/Getty)

KQED’s Rachael Myrow spoke with KPCC’s Frank Stoltze, who’s in Tampa covering the 2012 Republican National Convention. Stoltze got a read on some California delegates and their hopes for the California Republican Party.

Edited transcript…

KQED’S RACHAEL MYROW: Republicans from California, the ones who haven’t been trapped in Sacramento voting on bills this week, have been having a grand ol’ time in Tampa Bay at the GOP convention. The Golden State may not be in play this presidential election, but our Republicans still manage to attract a lot of attention and generate a lot of discussion. KPCC’s Frank Stoltze is there. Can you set the scene for us?

KPCC’s FRANK STOLTZE: The convention itself is in the city of Tampa. The California delegation is staying in St. Pete Beach, across Tampa Bay. It’s a beautiful resort area – big wide, white beaches. In fact, I caught up with one of the delegates on the beach – Gina Gleason from Chino Hills.

STOLTZE: It’s nice out here.

CALIF. GOP DELEGATE GINA GLEASON: Nice and warm and sunny. And the breeze is fantastic, and the water’s warm.

MYROW: Paul Ryan’s speech was last night. What was the California delegation’s reaction to it?

STOLTZE: They were just as excited as all the other delegates. I talked to a number of them afterwards, and here’s a couple of the California delegates who listened in on Paul Ryan last night.

DELEGATE GWEN DYRUD: Gwen Dyrud of Santa Ana, California. His confidence: “We can do this.” Oh, I loved that. I loved the straightforward talk. He didn’t talk like a high-falutin’ Congressman. He talked like your neighbor.

DELEGATE MARTHA FLORES GIBSON: My name is Martha Flores Gibson and I’m from Long Beach, California. I was mesmerized just by who he was. Just by his family. His mother. His deceased father. We have hope. He increased our hope.

STOLTZE: It’s interesting Rachael. Some in the California delegation, six or eight months ago, were not particularly enamored by Mitt Romney. I think the Paul Ryan pick is getting them more excited about this ticket.

MYROW: So we’ve heard from the rank-and-file there. Any headliners from California?

STOLTZE:  Well, former Gov. Pete Wilson is the official chair of the California delegation. In fact, he’s the one who announced the delegate votes for Mitt Romney in that roll-call vote on the first day of the convention. Former Secretary of State Bill Jones is also here, part of the delegation. There are plenty of folks who are just small business people from around California, but also folks who are big contributors to the party. Charlie Munger, who is the son of Charles Munger  — the partner of Warren Buffett. He’s from Palo Alto, also part of this delegation.

MYROW: Its interesting you mention Bill Jones, one of the very last statewide elected Republicans. Any talk among the folks you’re talking to about the future of the California Republican Party?

STOLTZE: The California delegation to the Republican National Convention is the largest delegation, but it also one of the weakest state parties. That’s one of the great ironies. What a lot of Californians are hoping is that if they elect a Republican president, that’ll help the party in California – that it’ll generate excitement, it’ll generate donations to a cash-strapped state party. So they’re really hoping that a Romney/Ryan win will help them in the Golden State.

MYROW: Frank, you’ve been to a number of GOP confabs around the country. What’s different, if anything, about this one?

STOLTZE: I think the biggest difference from four years ago in St. Paul, Minnesota is that people are extremely excited about this ticket, because they really don’t like President Obama. Republicans in California, like a lot of Republicans around the country, are unhappy with the president. So members of the party are very fired up. Speaker John Boehner, came and spoke to them a couple of days ago and urged them to make phone calls around the country to swing states to help get Romney elected.

PBS NewsHour has full online coverage and analysis of the event.

[View the story "RNC Live Blog" on Storify]

NPR has a full rundown of upcoming convention highlights including a schedule of speakers, and will have live radio coverage and analysis beginning Tuesday, Aug. 28 at 8 p.m. ET.

KQED’s Forum held an hour-long discussion about the Republican convention with journalists, analysts and California delegates on Aug. 28. Host Michael Krasny spoke with:

Listen to the audio here.