Log In | Register
15 Comments
PrintImages 
(showing 1 of 5 photos)
(showing 1 of 5 photos)advertisement
INDIANAPOLIS — Chelsea Clinton is spending long days on the campaign trail telling college crowds about her mother's positions on everything from health care and student-loan costs to the Darfur crisis and gay rights.
But there is one subject she will not discuss — "The Other Woman."
At least three times in the past two weeks, the former and possible future first daughter has been asked about the Monica Lewinsky scandal's influence on the presidential campaign of her mother, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The answer has evolved each time.
When a student at Butler University in Indianapolis first asked the question on March 25, she drew applause and gave a short response that ended with: "I do not think that is any of your business."
Clinton, 28, since has been less blunt, though the message is much the same.
"I think that is something that is personal to my family, I'm sure there are things that are personal to your family that you don't think are anyone else's business, either," she said last week when asked during a visit to North Carolina State University in Raleigh. "But also on a larger point, I don't think you should vote for or against my mother because of my father."
Many in the crowd at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., booed Monday when a question about the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton came up. Chelsea Clinton quickly summed up her position: "If that's what you want to vote on, that's what you should vote on. But I think there are other people (who are) going to vote on things like health care and economics," she said.
Amanda Morris, president of Purdue's Students for Hillary chapter, said Tuesday that she approved of the audience reaction and how Clinton is responding. She also expects the question might keep coming up.
"I really think it has gotten to the point where it is the attention thing," said Morris, a sophomore from Kokomo, Ind. "At first, maybe that student really wanted to know what she thought about it. But by now it's 'Oh, that person got attention for it, I'm going to keep asking.'"
Philippe Reines, a Clinton campaign spokesman, said Chelsea Clinton has made 99 campus appearances through Tuesday, and typically has taken 10 to 20 questions at each stop. He said the Lewinsky matter was not a burning issue among the people who have attended.
"She has been asked less than a handful of times, and she has been clear on where her lines of privacy are," Reines said. "She has the right as everyone does to define their own zone of privacy."
Reines said her campaign stops would continue unchanged. She does not take questions from reporters, but devotes all but the first few minutes of her appearances to questions from the audience.
Strict in her ban on reporters' questions, Chelsea Clinton even rebuffed a 9-year-old "kid reporter" for Scholastic News, who tried to question her last December in Iowa.
"Do you think your dad would be a good 'first man' in the White House?" asked Sydney Rieckhoff.
"I'm sorry, I don't talk to the press and that applies to you, unfortunately. Even though I think you're cute," Clinton told the pint-sized journalist.
On Tuesday, Chelsea Clinton visited three more college campuses in Indiana, where her mother and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama are actively campaigning to win the May 6 presidential primary. She was wrapping up her second campaign swing across the state.
"She really has gotten more questions on whether or not her mother believes the U.S. dollar should be tied to the gold standard," Reines said. "That's a question she's gotten probably 10 times."
Morris, the Purdue student, said she doesn't think Chelsea Clinton should have to face Lewinsky questions.
"That is something that has to do with their family life," Morris said. "I don't think it is something that we as a nation need to know how they handled as a family."
© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
20 Votes- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
Published to:
- Tom Davies's Column, All of Newsvine
- Groups: none
- Regions: United States , Indianapolis
 | Today on the Presidential Campaign Trail | Associated Press | Thu Apr 3 | 0 |
 | Chelsea Clinton Gets Personal on Campaign Trail | The Washington Post | Thu Apr 10 | 0 |
- Public Discussion (16)
- Public Discussion (0)
What's this?
Who's leading the conversation?
This visualization below allows you to see the impact that each user
has on the current conversation.
The top row contains the group of users who have had the most impact, the 2nd
row the group of users who have had the 2nd most impact (et cetera).
Users with similar impact are grouped together, and the average score of the group
is shown to the left of the group. The author of the article is also shown on the
left, in their corresponding group.
Each user's score is based on the number of comments the user has made plus the
number of votes their comments have received. The scores are calculated relative
one another, so while their absolute value is not particularly important, their
relative difference does indicate a larger difference in impact on the conversation.
6.2
4.0
1.5
{"commentId":1671491,"authorDomain":"wickenden"}
I agree that her parents sexual lives are not at issue. I do concede that while I think a President's sexual life is not public business I wish that he had simply responded when asked: that's none of anyone's business" rather than dance around with emphatic denials and ontological fine points. I have a good friend who objects to the use of the Oval Office for anything other than the business at hand of being a President, but I'm loathe to try to make those sorts of fine-detailed constraints.
What I expect out of a President is that she / he work within the constraints of law and in pragmatic ways to run the federal government, with all it's responsibilities. No one groups sense of sexual propriety or taste or belief or any other legal pursuit ought to be condemned.
It's interesting to me to watch young Chelsea prepare for a life in politics. How interesting (though I support Barack's bid..." if she turned out to be the daughter of two presidents!
{"commentId":1671491,"threadId":"247524","contentId":"1419536","authorDomain":"wickenden"}
- 1 vote
#1 - Wed Apr 9, 2008 9:22 AM EDT{"commentId":1671651,"authorDomain":"mcrutchfield"}
"She really has gotten more questions on whether or not her mother believes the U.S. dollar should be tied to the gold standard," Reines said. "That's a question she's gotten probably 10 times."
So what's the answer?
{"commentId":1671651,"threadId":"247524","contentId":"1419536","authorDomain":"mcrutchfield"}
- 2 votes
#2 - Wed Apr 9, 2008 9:57 AM EDT{"commentId":1671716,"authorDomain":"populardelusion"}
populardelusion
Comment collapsed by the community
Comment collapsed by the community{"commentId":1671941,"authorDomain":"redruby"}
Trashy reporting and should not be on the front page. It's over. It's done. It's no body's business.
{"commentId":1671941,"threadId":"247524","contentId":"1419536","authorDomain":"redruby"}
- 3 votes
#4 - Wed Apr 9, 2008 10:52 AM EDT{"commentId":1672147,"authorDomain":"greenguy"}
I agree that it's beyond the pale. I do wish the reporter of this article would have actually, you know, listed what the questions were, rather then what they were "about." I don't think you should ask a candidate about their affairs (I don't see John McCain facing these questions) so I REALLY don't think children of the candidate, who didn't have the affair, should be questioned about that; especially in relation to the spouse of the politician who also did not have the affair.
Still, there is a difference between asking Chelsea something about Monica as opposed to something along the lines of "Did the intense coverage of the affair prove traumatic for you during your formative years?"
{"commentId":1672147,"threadId":"247524","contentId":"1419536","authorDomain":"greenguy"}
- 2 votes
#5 - Wed Apr 9, 2008 11:37 AM EDT{"commentId":1672231,"authorDomain":"redruby"}
Agreed. That would be so much more sincere. It must have been devastating for her but the whole issue is so irrelevant at this point in time and so malicious.
{"commentId":1672231,"threadId":"247524","contentId":"1419536","authorDomain":"redruby"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":1672575,"authorDomain":"neoconstant"}
Agreed. That would be so much more sincere. It must have been devastating for her but the whole issue is so irrelevant at this point in time and so malicious.
Sadly, though, it's not "irrelevant" as that period of time is still strangely fresh in the mind of the general population. I'm not a Hillary fan, but I think it's just downright absurd that this should have any effect on her campaign...but it will. Her connection with Bill is at once a blessing and a curse, no matter how unfortunate or beside the point that may be.
{"commentId":1672575,"threadId":"247524","contentId":"1419536","authorDomain":"neoconstant"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":1672534,"authorDomain":"ejronin"}
While the sexual lives of the Clinton's are not the business of the country, it is important to understand that Hillary is running for the highest public office in the country, so the question is not out of line. Quite frankly, since it is a public office and the offense was done in the same office that Hillary is running for, it IS our business.
It's not our business in a tabloid sense but those kind of actions show favoritism, sexism, character, and judgment - all VERY relevant to the position. And, while it was not Hillary who had the offense, I would like to know if she plans on instituting new measures to help ensure that future presidents can not be in a situation where this may occur again, or if she sees it as a misstep by her husband and would see it as a moral code that she'd work to stand against.
Besides, it is an issue of family values, which to many Americans is also very important.
{"commentId":1672534,"threadId":"247524","contentId":"1419536","authorDomain":"ejronin"}
- 1 vote
#6 - Wed Apr 9, 2008 12:59 PM EDT{"commentId":1672550,"authorDomain":"neoconstant"}
What a terrible title for this article! Very little of it focused on the "other woman" but rather on how Ms. Clinton deals with questions and the Press in general. I guess putting Monica front and center sells more, though....
{"commentId":1672550,"threadId":"247524","contentId":"1419536","authorDomain":"neoconstant"}
- 1 vote
#7 - Wed Apr 9, 2008 1:02 PM EDT{"commentId":1672597,"authorDomain":"ejronin"}
welll perhaps hte title shoudl be "Other Woman" Follows Chelsea Clinton... that would still ahve the senationalistic heading but remain inline with the truth more than "shadows"
Remember though, it's an AP piece so not only with the story change every few hours but so will the title.
{"commentId":1672597,"threadId":"247524","contentId":"1419536","authorDomain":"ejronin"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":1672593,"authorDomain":"msspain"}
Chelsea is campaigning for her mother's presidency, everything is fair game. She is 28 years old and very much grown. If she can't stand the heat then she does not belong on the campaign trail. She dictates that she does not answer questions from reporters. Who does she think she is? The students should be asking why her mother lied about the Bosnia trip, with Chelsea at her side. I feel the Lewinsky scandal made headline news and a lot of students were not old enough to remember. The media is the blame for rehashing this terrible moment, but this is politics. I think she should answer questions from the reporters. As far as those students asking about Lewinsky, I feel she could have answered them in a professional way then what she did.
{"commentId":1672593,"threadId":"247524","contentId":"1419536","authorDomain":"msspain"}
- 1 vote
#8 - Wed Apr 9, 2008 1:09 PM EDT{"commentId":1672615,"authorDomain":"ejronin"}
I think she shoudl have the right to NOT answer a question if she doesn't want to. Simply becuase I'm asked a question does not mean I'm going to answer it. However, not answering it has repercussions in the journalism field - they'll get you for not answering with speculation and conjecture, but that's the name of the game - purport a truth in the absence of it - the bad can be worse, so make it worse and the good is only good if it is also popular. Yellow media and moral panic are the new 'news'.
I also don't think the media is to blame for the rehashing of events. Everyday citizens who lived the Clinton years and old enough to remember it would have brought it up. I do... becuase it is very relevant to the campaign. And, the best way to keep someone from talking @!$%# about you, it to not do @!$%# people will talk about. The blame lies on Bill for DOING it...
{"commentId":1672615,"threadId":"247524","contentId":"1419536","authorDomain":"ejronin"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":1672759,"authorDomain":"nitewingsg1"}
Why the picture of Monica Lewinsky ? That story should be dead and buried. Amazing how people keep digging it back up. Number of people that died because of the BJ = 0
Number of men and women that died because of the Bush War.....
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/forces/casualties/index.html
{"commentId":1672759,"threadId":"247524","contentId":"1419536","authorDomain":"nitewingsg1"}
#9 - Wed Apr 9, 2008 1:40 PM EDT{"commentId":1672838,"authorDomain":"ejronin"}
yes, becuase Iraq war as everything to do with Chelsea Clinton and the BJ incident.
{"commentId":1672838,"threadId":"247524","contentId":"1419536","authorDomain":"ejronin"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":1674017,"authorDomain":"replytoj001"}
Chelsea needs to grow up and deal with the REALITY of who who parents are in the scope of American history.
If she finds it a personal and possible offensive subject.....too bad, it is what it is.
If she is out there selling her mo0ther, she needs to really understand what it means....it is not just about her mothers record, it is about her mothers history. If Chelsea does not ant to answer the questions; I can respect her (that) position.
But she needs to clearly understand what/who she is and what she is doing. You put yourself out there in a campaign and you can be the story.
I do not pity her, I do not feel sorry for her, I understand her being uncomfortable, but I cannot give her a pass.
Welcome to political reality Chelsea.....
replytoj001
{"commentId":1674017,"threadId":"247524","contentId":"1419536","authorDomain":"replytoj001"}
#10 - Wed Apr 9, 2008 7:02 PM EDT{"canLink":false,"threadId":"247524","isPrivate":false}
You're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
As a new user, you may notice a few temporary content restrictions. Click here for more info.
Start Tracking
Stop TrackingCOMPANY STUFF:
LEGAL STUFF:
- © 2005-2009 Newsvine, Inc. |
- Newsvine® is a registered trademark of Newsvine, Inc. |
- Newsvine is a property of
