Chelsea Clinton asks people to look beyond the Clinton family to run for public office: 'It's a question we should be asking young people'
Dynastic politics has its appeal across nations and people and the US is no exception. From the Roosevelts, Bushes, Clintons and Obamas to the Trumps now, supporters are always wondering who's next from the family to fill in their shoes.
Chelsea Clinton, the only daughter of one of America's most politically famous couples — Bill and Hillary Clinton — is also asked time and again about her probable foray into politics.
However, the 39-year-old has emphatically said that she has no such plan and has also advised people to look to people beyond her family for holding public offices.
On Wednesday, October 16, the former first daughter shot down on NBC's 'The View' the speculation that she could succeed 82-year-old Nita Lowey as the representative of New York next year.
"I'm not considering running for Congress," Chelsea, a philanthropist and writer, said. Chelsea was not surprised by the question though as she has been hearing them since she was only three or four.
With her father serving as the governor of Arkansas for most of the period between the late 1970s and early 1990s, she was asked whether she would also become the same one day.
"I understand why people are asking, and someone has asked me some version of this question for literally as long as I can remember," she said.
Look beyond dynasties
Chelsea then added that people shouldn't be asking the question to those whose last name is Clinton but rather to kids, youngsters and women.
"It's a question we should be asking kids — like do you think about running for office one day — young people, women, and I hope that if the answer to that question is, 'Yes, I’m considering it', that you'll really think about doing it and go to run for something," Chelsea, a mother of three, shared.
She even included the last name of "Huntsman" — that of the show's co-host Abby whose father Jon was the governor of Utah and served as ambassadors to various countries while making her point on people's obsession with dynasties.
Chelsea's parents have both been political heavyweights. While Bill became the 42nd president in 1993 and served two terms till 2001, Hillary ran for the presidency twice — in 2008 and 2016.
In 2008, she lost to Barack Obama who got the Democratic nomination and served as the secretary of state in the Obama presidency between 2009 and 2013. In 2016, he got the Democratic nomination but lost to incumbent Donald Trump in the elections.
Speculation is also rife that the 71-year-old Hillary will join the presidential race for 2020 as well.
Chelsea is currently promoting her new book titled 'The Book on Gutsy Women' jointly penned with Hillary and her appearance on ABC was also related to the same.
Hillary has also accompanied her to a number of events to promote the book where they have reflected on a number of issues, sometimes even in disagreeing tones.
Former first lady Michelle Obama is another personality who is closely followed by the Democratic supporters hoping that she would join the fray some day.
One poll even suggested recently that if she joins the presidential race for next year's election in the New Hampshire primary in February, she will be a frontrunner right away. Michelle though has said that she is not interested in holding the office.