As a young Democrat, when I learned that the Chelsea would be coming to my school to promote her mom, I cringed. It wasn’t because I dislike Chelsea, nor because I believed my college campus was untouchable to the Clinton campaign.I didn’t want her to come because of the utter fakeness her presence brings: my college, like all institutions of higher education in America today, is an Obama stronghold. And as expected, with Chelsea’s visit came an arry of Clinton banners, signs and staff members.
I was walking through our student center when I first saw Chelsea. Following her was an entourage of men in black suits and campaign staffers. I was walking in one direction, she was walking in the opposite. As she approached I stopped to greet her. She reached out her hand and I reached out mine and said, “Chelsea, thanks so much for coming, we really do appreciate your visit. Your father was a great president.” She smiled, and responded, “why thank you, I hope you’re voting Tuesday.”
My jacket was partially covering my Obama ‘08 button. I looked down, uncovered it, and pointed to it. She still smiled, and I said politely, “but we really do appreciate your visit.” She walked away.
Honestly, I feel like a dick. But in my defense, I was as cordial and honest as I could be.
Admittedly, I wasn’t happy with the Clinton campaign at that point. I had just got back from spending two weeks in South Carolina for the campaign, and I had grown angry with the Clinton campaign for the race baiting remarks of President Clinton. I suppose that played a role in my interaction with the former first daughter.
Chelsea continued on and went to a podium to deliver a speech to a crowd of about 150. I had just came from that direction, and I can say with certainty that most of the people there were not students. They were locals–townies as we call them–local residents who had heard about the Clinton visit through the local papers and decided to come out to listen to her talk to college kids. Problem was, the audience had ’salt and pepper’ color tones from far away–if you know what I mean.
Her visit was actually pretty pathetic. Like most college campuses, we have a local chapter of Students for Barack Obama, of which I’m a part of. The campaign gave our group roughly 36 hours to get ready for a visit by actor Kal Penn, and in the end, we managed to get about 240 students during a time when less than one fourth of the campus was actually at school (it was winter break/session). We actually had students–no adults.
Perfect grassroots youth outreach. Only student media, no old people, a young actor, prominently known in my age group, talking about issues involving us. It was low key, yet with maximum impact.
That is how Obama is winning college campuses: college youth organizers putting on events that are far more low key that “OMG, CHELSEA CLINTON IS COMING!!!” No one in my age group remembers Chelsea Clinton–how stupid to think she is actually reaching out to youth.
And what about that Chelsea Clinton event? Well she talked about her mom to a media-covered event with that ’salt and pepper’ audience. I know because one of my friends was there with a tape recorder.
Displayed behind her–a ‘Hillblazers: Young Leaders for Hillary in 2008‘ sign. In reality, there is no such youth group on campus. The Clinton campaign wanted to make it seem like there was, a distortion.
