Please, No More Chelsea Clinton

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Curtailing the Clintons

Despite the fact that voters across the aisle have expressed disdain for the Clintons, the DNC and the media seem to agree that doubling down is the answer.

By Eric McInnis, Arcadia University

To the Democratic National Committee and the News Media,

Boy, you’ve been having a rough couple of months, huh? After the biggest political upset of the century, I can see you’ve been trying to figure out why you lost and how you can improve for the midterms and 2020 election.

There’s no obvious answer as to why Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump. But I’ve noticed your new strategy has been a push to make the Clintons relevant again, particularly Bill and Hillary’s daughter Chelsea. Within the past few months, Chelsea has been featured on “Variety,” praised for her Twitter sass by the “New York Times” and been the recipient of puff pieces centered around her children’s book. Chelsea Clinton has stated multiple times that she has no plans to run for Congress, and I’m sure she will keep her word.

However, the recent push for her by many famous news networks shows that the Clinton dynasty embedded within the DNC is still alive and well, at least in terms of media representation, which is why I feel like I need to say that any additional support for the Clinton progeny is a bad idea. If it means anything, I’m saying this as a registered Democrat who cares about the party and wants things to improve. So please try to listen to what I have to say, especially since people aren’t fond of your party right now.

The main reason why this surge of publicity for Chelsea Clinton could backfire comes down to one specific issue—nobody likes the Clintons. Okay, I’m exaggerating a little bit. There are plenty of Democrats and liberals who like the Clintons. After all, WikiLeaks revealed former DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz was willing to do anything to derail Bernie Sanders during the Democratic race, and similar sentiments still exist within some factions of the party, despite Sanders’ massive popularity.

However, there are still plenty of people, from both the right and the left, who believe the Clintons aren’t the shining progressive family that they claim to be. In many ways, they have taken part in many of the same issues that the media has criticized the Trumps for. Bill Clinton was in a massive sex scandal during his presidency with intern Monica Lewinsky. Does such sexual misconduct remind you of some certain “Access Hollywood” tapes? Hillary Clinton infamously called black youth “super predators,” and, twenty years later, after being confronted about her claim by a Black Lives Matter activist named Ashley Williams, Clinton shooed away the accusation, kicked Williams out and continued her speech with the phrase “Okay, back to the issues.” Gee, does disregarding racial issues sound like another politician you know? Somebody known for being unpopular in the African-American community?

Chelsea Clinton isn’t free from Trump connections either. Ivanka Trump’s latest self-help book, “Women Who Work,” has received scores of negative reviews from critics, and “New York Times” writer Jennifer Senior notes that Trump’s class bias makes her appear out of touch with the working-class women she is trying to target. In the case of Chelsea Clinton, one could argue the same criticism applies.

Granted, being the daughter of a powerful figure doesn’t really give either woman an opportunity to understand the mindset of the everywoman, but Clinton has hardly eschewed the privileges of her surname. Can you name anyone else who received a $600,000 salary from NBC News right after graduating college? A salary that’s more than what most American families make over the course of years? And for being a “special correspondent”? The media claims Chelsea Clinton’s Twitter is sassy and sharp in its attacks on the GOP, but a good majority of Twitter, including politicians and celebrities, have all taken potshots at Trump, many of whom, such as Patton Oswalt or Stephen Colbert, did a much better job than the youngest Clinton. So I would ask why Chelsea Clinton has been given so much love from both NBC and other news sites, but I think it’s pretty obvious.

Regardless, if there’s one thing I hope the both of you learn it’s this: While you might have some fans who will support everything you do, and there will be plenty of reluctant voters who will force themselves into picking your candidate, a lot of formerly Democratic voters see through the smoke and mirrors now. While I understand that Chelsea Clinton has admitted that she has no plans to run for political office, the love the woman has received from the media reveals how out of touch both of you are. Conservatives are sick of seeing a family who has done many reprehensible things be hailed as morally spotless, and liberals dislike seeing the recipient of massive privilege do nothing but bask in it, especially when young activists are literally going out and fighting for causes that matter to them.

And so I implore the both of you: While you might think your push for Chelsea Clinton will help your cause, you need to change your tune and lend your support to someone else.

Sincerely,

A Liberal Who Wants to Make Democrats Great Again