Is Chelsea Clinton Now Fair Game?
All signs point to Yes.
As the child of two very public figures, Chelsea Clinton has enjoyed a certain amount of respect from the political media but now she’s acting as a surrogate for her mother’s campaign. That changes things, as Professor Jacobson noted in a recent post.
A new column from Jack Shafer of Politico echoes that sentiment:
Time for Chelsea Clinton’s Easy Ride to End
When precisely did Chelsea Clinton complete her transition from a White House kid whom journalists agreed to treat as off-limits to a public figure deserving of the full scrutiny of the press corps?
The unsettling answer to the question appears to be, “Not yet.” The soon-to-be 36-year-old occupies the status of an American princess—Diana on the Potomac, if you will. The press covers her, of course, attempting to ask her substantive questions, but mostly she exists to grace the covers of magazines—Fast Company and Elle most recently—and be treated to lighter-than-air puff pieces.
Few object to the cone of deference the press places over the actual children who reside in the White House, or their parents’ attempts to construct a privacy zone around them. Even after White House kids are no longer minors and move on to college, as Chelsea did in 1997, most reporters and editors resist covering them as news in themselves. Unless a White House kid breaks the law, takes measures to make their private profile public, or otherwise becomes “newsworthy” (is injured in an accident, is stalked, etc.), the press basically turns a blind eye.
But at some point—early adulthood—the general immunity from critical coverage needs to end.
While campaigning for her mother in Minnesota this week, Chelsea committed the ultimate Freudian slip by referring to Hillary’s opponent as “President Sanders.”
Twitchy has collected some unpleasant reactions to the Politico piece:
i thought it ended when she was accused by pundit of being "pimped out" in 2008. https://t.co/3vFJYVBT4G
— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) February 5, 2016
THIS. IS. DESPICABLE. https://t.co/9RYuOuGZTD
— Peter Daou (@peterdaou) February 5, 2016
STFU. Seriously. STFU. https://t.co/yzo8xB0DN8
— Seth Bringman (@sethbringman) February 5, 2016
I wonder if these folks would feel the same way if her last name was Palin?
Featured image via YouTube.
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Comments
When she became a member of the Clinton family RICO outfit, she became fair game, if not before.
You beat me to it Rags.
Chelsea is in “it” up to her neck just as far as mommy and daddy are. I wonder if she realizes that, or simply dismisses it like they do. Either way.
True justice would see them all doing the orange coverall chain gang perp walk as they entered adjoining cells in the Federal SuperMax at Florence.
I give most children until age 30 before I judge. Before then, they often think their own family was normal even if it was dysfunctional. By 30 they should both know better and have taken steps to make their own way in life.
When Chelsea picked a college that was on the opposite side of the nation from her parents I hoped she might make her own way in life. But then she went into the family shakedown business.
Let’s ask Mary Cheney what she thinks.
IMHO, it’s not a matter of age, but of choice.
As far as I’m concerned, she forfeited her protected status the minute she chose to become a public figure. I don’t consider being the daughter of a politician – or in her case politicians – as her choice.
OTOH, I think voluntarily appearing on television, making political speeches, etc. makes her fair game.
Chelsea is no longer a child. Gloves Off.
Especially since she wants to get into politics running on daddy’s coat tails.
She is such a lame brain it’s hard to feel anything but sorry for her.
Chelsea will always be the “unplanned” child of Hillary and Bill, but she’s an adult outside of her mom and dad’s family.
But you can still get a commemorative turkey baster at the Clinton Massage Parlor and Library gift shop.
I don’t care how the press treats her. I just want her to be named as an indicted co-conspirator in the Clinton Foundation RICO case, just like her parents.
Damn. You’d think a wealthy young woman with political aspirations would take better care of herself. Woof.
She is 36 and politically involved. She is a public figure.
I would generally prefer a more polite public discourse about all politicians, but that is a topic for another day.
The press is desperate to keep Horseface Jr hands-off because of how much dirt there is on her.
I mean the story about how she called Secret Service agents ‘pigs’ because she heard her parents call them that, the sound byte about how she just ‘can’t care about money’, the fact that she has literally never had a real job in her life, and those are just off the top of my head.
She’s not a politician’s kid being featured for a couple seconds in an ad. She’s out ACTIVELY CAMPAIGNING for somebody. Fair game.
Whatever game Chelsea is ‘fair’ for, there can be no winner. She is not photogenic and brings no charisma, no personality. She is fairly articulate in parroting talking points, but has a bland and generic speaking style. Among all the opther campaign surrogates and would-be cable news guests Chelsea’s, well, kind of boring.
But she’ll still be a representative or senator – probably from New York – some time in the near future.
Have her debate Jeb…….fair fight!
Dumber than a box of rocks and as corrupt as her parents. She needs to go to jail.
Of course the gloves should come off. That said, I nevertheless can’t help but feel sorry for her, inasmuch as she’s saddled with the worst from each of her parents, physically and intellectually.