Might as Well Let Chelsea Run

April 2, 2008 Christina V. Mills Hillary Clinton has based her campaign against Barack Obama on her extensive experience as the First Lady, during President Clinton’s eight years in the White House.  She often cites America's need for a president who will be ready “on day one,” and someone who can “answer that phone call in the middle of the night.”  It has been public knowledge of how she championed for universal health care, spoke out against the mistreatment of women, and accompanied her husband on many trips throughout the world (although she had to be sued to release her papers as First Lady).   And while she has used this experience as First Lady to build up her own campaign, she has used it to diminish that of opponent Barack Obama.  Both Republicans and Democrats have said that her recognition of McCain’s experience while diminishing that of her fellow Democratic candidate might possibly harm the Democratic party, regardless of which candidate becomes the nominee.   If Clinton becomes the nominee, she will not be able to take back her words about McCain’s qualifications when trying to prove she is the better candidate.  If Obama becomes the nominee, Clinton will have to lend her support to a candidate whom she said is less experienced than the Republican nominee, John McCain. And so, after realizing how Senator Clinton had backed herself into a corner in this way, I found it comical when I saw Michael Reagan, son of the late president Ronald Reagan, speaking of his qualifications to become a vice presidential candidate on Larry King Live. Reagan reminded us, that he too made a good number of trips to various countries with his father while he was president.  “In fact,” he says, “I was in the room when my father gave permission to Ed Meese to tell the military they could shoot down the Libyan planes over the Gulf of Sidra.”  While he may not have kept a log of his experiences as Hillary Clinton had as First Lady, he was certainly involved to some extent in his father’s presidency, since he turned 36 the year Reagan began his presidency (old enough at the time to become president himself). And though Reagan admitted that he was entirely kidding about wanting to become the vice presidential nominee as the son of President Reagan, he asked King, “Does that qualify me to be commander in chief?”  Reagan conceded.  “I guess it does now.” Perhaps, if Hillary does not win the nomination, Chelsea will use her qualifications as First Daughter to run in 2015.    Subscribe to Feed