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Clinton offers refreshing honesty in campaign |
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Thursday, 03 April 2008 |
Everyone has incidents involving family members that simply aren’t discussed at reunions, holiday parties and other family get-togethers.
Whether it’s your uncle’s jail stint, your sister’s pothead boyfriend or your dad’s brief infidelity, most people agree things are just better left unsaid.
But what about when you speak to a campus of college students and they ask you about your dad’s infidelity?
Does it change things if you are Chelsea Clinton?
No. It is still completely inappropriate.
On the campaign trail for her mother Hillary’s presidential bid, Chelsea has no doubt encountered many
tough questions.
However, none may surpass the toughness of one she fielded last week at Butler University, and again
at North Carolina State University Monday.
Although the questions in both cases did ultimately aim to address the larger issue of the senator’s
credibility and strength, both mentioned the well-publicized scandal, as well as Monica Lewinsky by
name.
It is beyond me how anyone could stand in front of someone and purposely bring up a topic that is
clearly going to be very touchy and personal.
According to an article on MSNBC.com, a Butler student (who did not ask the question) is quoted as
saying she believes a question about the Lewinsky scandal is long overdue and that many “voters
have been wondering how the scandal will affect her potential presidency.”
To even contemplate that Sen. Clinton will be affected at all by the scandal involving her husband, an
intern and the entire American public in the mid 1990s is ridiculous.
Although I do not consider Clinton my favorite candidate, I am quite positive a woman who has
exhibited such will, strength and intelligence would not be affected in the presidency by a past personal
incident.
 Jason Mills
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As for Chelsea’s short and to-the-point “none of your business” response, some are criticizing it, calling
it rude and unprofessional in a campaign.
Why? I was refreshed to hear someone in the political arena offer up such an honest response.
I applaud Chelsea for coming out of the politically-correct mold she is undoubtedly expected to fill and
speak with real emotion.
However, Chelsea did elaborate a bit at N.C. State, saying “I respectfully disagree. I believe it is
something that is personal to my family. I’m sure there are things in your family that you don’t think are
anyone else’s business either.”
Chelsea added as the student left, “On a larger point, I don’t think you should vote for or against my
mother because of my father.”
How true.
Upon Chelsea’s snub of his question, the student immediately left the event, saying he had to go to
class.
It seems to me as if perhaps the student was simply looking for the same 15 minutes of fame enjoyed
by the first questioner at Butler, who appeared excessively on national news sources, including CNN,
in recent days.
Well, unfortunately for him, the N.C. State student quickly found he was dealing with a woman who is
clearly just as strong as her mother and will rebuff any question she doesn’t want to answer with a
sobering response.
The student should have known, following the incident at Butler, he was not going to receive a better
response to his question, and should be embarrassed for wasting the time of both Chelsea and his
fellow students.
Let’s talk about Sen. Clinton’s plans for the diminishing state of our economy, healthcare system and
foreign policy.
Anyone who still wants to talk about Bill and his personal mistakes in the 1990s can pick up the latest
National Enquirer at Ingles.
Just don’t attend any more rallies and waste our time.
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