On February 18th, the ACC Special Events Room was full of chatter: politics, work, whether these rolling chairs would stay put…. when Chelsea Clinton walked into the room. Immediately, the volume intensified, everyone cheered, people whipped out their phones to photograph this moment. I too, quietly snuck a few photos of American history standing before me.
Whether you agree with Hilary’s policies or not, seeing her daughter is a cool moment. Chelsea held a warm smile, a safe smile, nothing that would portray poorly as hundreds of photos were snapped of her. She isn’t as famous as she was twenty-years ago, when every American knew the name of the First Daughter, but her father’s presidency and her mother’s numerous campaigns have continued to keep her in the spotlight.
For the majority of us, we only see politicians through a screen: TV, social media, computers. They have practiced their stances and arguments so much it is scripted; they know what they’re going to say, how they’re going to say it, and the reaction they will get from it. However, not only do the politicians have to be on, but their entire families do as well. How many times have we laughed at Ted Cruz’s footage as his daughter awkwardly refuses to hug him? Chelsea has spent a great portion of her life being scrutinized by the media because of her parents. She continues to be scrutinized given her choice to fulfill her filial duty by supporting her mom during her campaigns.
As she began to speak, Chelsea noted that she was only sitting down because she was pregnant. I wanted to tell her of course, everyone knows; it ran in the news, but it then dawned on me that she had to say it. In the political word, where simple moments such as drinking water and awkward hugs become news articles analyzed for days, her mother’s campaign is doing everything it can to avoid negative publicity. Chelsea sitting down could be spun that she wasn’t energetic, wasn’t passionate about her mother becoming president. When, quite obviously, the energy she radiated throughout the room indicated strong support for her mother.
In talking about foreign policy, disabilities, climate change, college tuition, Chelsea had the right answers…her mother’s answers. She is the encyclopedia of both her mother’s and father’s lives: every stance, every word, every piece they have moved on the chess board-she not only knows about but can recite expertly. Some might wonder if she is a pawn on the chessboard too, and I can’t disagree. She campaigned extensively in 2008 for her mother on college campuses while in her late 20s. She was the appeal to the younger vote. Now, she is on campuses again trying to persuade millennials to step away from the ever-popular Bernie. Though from a marketing standpoint, how is a thirty-five-year-old married, mother-of-almost two is relevant to today’s college students?
To give them credit, Hilary’s campaign has tried to solve this problem. Millennial celebrities have teamed up with the campaign to promote Hilary among younger voters. Demi Lovato has given concerts, and America Ferrera (best known for her roles in Ugly Betty and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) joined Chelsea on Thursday as an avid Hilary supporter. While America is a respected award-winning actress, her “millennial” introduction to Chelsea was too forced. I don’t want to hear about Ferrera wanting to “Netflix and chill” with Hilary; I want to hear about Hilary’s policies that Ferrera is passionate about. Furthermore, the campaign team has to be careful about counting on millennial support-some people may just want a free Demi Lovato concert or a picture with America Ferrera.
With Hilary in need of millennial support, 30 to 60-year-old women who remembered Chelsea as the First Daughter and the demographic is where Hilary has firm support. As one young 23-year-old expressed her dismay to Chelsea that her friends all didn’t like Hilary, looking around the room, the audience age confirmed that. Playing to the main audience, one of Chelsea’s main points was that she supports her mother even more now because she is a mother herself. It’s hard for colleg students to relate to that when most of us aren’t parents or planning to be for a while.
Chelsea is intelligent and has a wealth of experiences. She is quieter than her two parents but more relatable. As the primaries and caucuses heat up, she is a refreshing view to hear from. I can’t help but wonder if she is a human casualty in the messy world of politics, unable to do what she wants, say what she wants, unable to not be seen by the reporters who wrote about her looks when she was only thirteen and continue to be superficially critical today. She is unable to escape the die-hard Hilary fans, as supportive as they are, that claim to have many “mutual friends” of the Clintons, who falsely claim the public schools she went to, and who hound about her for photos. Then again, maybe it’s just the price you pay for being a past and potential future president’s daughter.