ABC's Kate Snow Tags Along With Spotlight-Hating Chelsea Clinton

Photo of Scott Whitlock.
By Scott Whitlock | January 18, 2008 - 15:56 ET

ABC reporter Kate Snow continued her long history of delivering generous Clinton spin during a segment on Friday's "Good Morning America." The GMA correspondent followed Chelsea Clinton as the former first daughter campaigned for her mother, repeating talking points along the way. Snow announced, "To be honest, [Chelsea] doesn't like cameras much. She let us tag along, but takes no questions." Later Snow repeated, "She doesn't want to be in the spotlight." The ABC reporter, who often covers the Clintons, didn't ask the obvious question: If Chelsea doesn't like the spotlight or cameras, why, exactly, did she allow ABC to follow her around with a camera crew?

GMA did balance the piece on the Clinton daughter with a sympathetic take on Mike Huckabee's wife, Janet. (At one point, reporter Claire Shipman asked about Mike Hucakbee's "legendary guitar playing.") However, Snow has developed a pattern of vigorously lauding the actions of various Clintons. On January 7th of 2008, she praised Hillary Clinton for seemingly ordinary actions. "No subject is too small. No issue too dense," Snow raved.

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In early October of 2007, the ABC reporter complimented the much derided laugh of Chelsea's mother, labeling the New York senator "the master of a shrewd political skill, disarming her critics with a gleam in her eye and a roar straight from the belly."

That same month, Snow extolled the strength of the Clinton marriage: "On the eve of [Hillary's 60th birthday,] Hillary is trumpeting the strength of their marriage."

During Snow's segment on Friday, she referred to Chelsea's reticence with the press as a "hard and fast rule to protect her privacy." Apparently, this also extends to snubbing a nine-year-old reporter from Scholastic News. That event, which of course Snow didn't mention, occurred in December.

It should be noted that the January 18 "Good Morning America" actually displayed some balance. In addition to the Clinton piece, the show featured a friendly and complimentary segment on a Republican family member, Janet Huckabee. Reporter Claire Shipman seemed enamored of the outgoing former first lady of Arkansas. After praising Mike Huckabee for his guitar playing, the GMA reporter closed the report with unabashed adulation for Mrs. Huckabee: "You know, her straight shooting style and her sense of humor got her dubbed the queen of fun in Arkansas. And goodness knows...Washington can always use a dose of that."

A transcript of the Chelsea Clinton segment, which aired at 7:31am on January 18, follows:

DIANE SAWYER: But first, we have an exclusive behind the scenes access to Chelsea Clinton who is on the campaign trail. We've seen her out there but she's been a quiet but steady presence standing next to her parents. Well, now she's branching out on her own. She's starting to talk and she's going to meet with voters one on one. Weekend anchor Kate Snow found Chelsea has come a long way from the young girl in braces that we remember from the Clinton years at the White House.

KATE SNOW: We caught up with Chelsea Clinton and her new mini-van sharing campaign trail buddies in Nevada. You might recognize Amber Tamblyn, you know, "Joan of Arcadia" and here comes America Ferrera, better known as "Ugly Betty."

AMERICA FERRERA: So, this is just like a sneak, surprise attack.

SNOW: For weeks now, Chelsea has been doing these kind of stealth campaign stops for her mom. No advance warning. No cameras in tow. To be honest, she doesn't like cameras much. She let us tag along, but takes no questions. It's her hard and fast rule to protect her privacy. But if a voter has a question --

CHELSEA CLINTON: Do you have any questions about my mom's campaign?

SNOW: --well, that's different.

CLINTON: Are you all planning on caucusing on Saturday? And what my mom said was -- Expand Pell grants. She's working hard on that.

SNOW: For 15 minutes, she's in a deep discussion with Anthony and Chris about gay rights. I mean, you remember her like the kid in braces at the White House. Right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.

SNOW: And now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're kind of seeing somebody looks like us. So, it's very easy to relate to somebody like that.

CLINTON: I'll see everybody on February 6th.

SNOW: She is a 27-year-old who sips iced coffee, is taking time off from a high powered hedge fund job in New York.

SECOND UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You look incredible. I love what you're wearing.

SNOW: But she's also the only person in history who could become a first daughter twice over.

AMBER TAMBLYN (Actress, "Joan of Arcadia"): It was really cute today. We sat at this rally where President Bill Clinton was speaking and she set next to America Ferrera and I. And he was answering questions of students in the audience. And she would go, "Dad, dad." And she would say, "Don't forget about--" And she would, like, add something. And it was really cute to watch their dynamic.

SNOW: Last stop of the night, a rally with her father in cold Las Vegas. Chelsea Clinton comes but she stands in the crowd. She doesn't want to be in the spotlight. But in this family, she doesn't always have a choice.

BILL CLINTON: Say hello to our daughter!

SNOW: The Chelsea caravan rolls on through Nevada. Next stop, South Carolina. For "Good Morning America," Kate Snow, ABC News, Las Vegas.

SAWYER: It's a new role. Dad, dad, you didn't mention health care. Dad.

—Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center.

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If Chelsea doesn't like the

If Chelsea doesn't like the spotlight or cameras, why, exactly, did she allow ABC to follow her around with a camera crew?

For her mom...? Out of a familial sense of duty?

The great and wise Chelsea

"I have to admit that a good deal of what my husband and I have learned [about Islam] has come from our daughter." - (TruthInMedia.org 8/8/1999 - Hillary at a White House function, proudly tells some Muslim groups she is gaining a greater appreciation of Islam because Chelsea was then taking a class on the "religion of peace")

http://oldbluejacket.com/H&P-hillary.htm

 

 

Oh my....isn't this just so

Oh my....isn't this just so sickeningly precious.

Have a Barf bag near....

"Barf" is right, BT. The

"Barf" is right, BT. The media has just about canonized this kid over the years. She's just another mythical Clinton attribute the media has protected and perpetuated. You can go into sugar shock listening to them go on about her.

Why are we still "protecting

Why are we still "protecting Chelsea's privacy" eight years after she's left the White House?  And why don't Jenna and Barbara enjoy that same coveted "privacy"?  The media is all over those two girls if it's juicy gossip.

I'm fairly certain that if

I'm fairly certain that if Chelsea had been engaging in Paris Hilton-style theatrics (some of which were illegal, like fake IDs) while Bill was in the white house, the media would have been all over it. "President's Daughter Goes to Stanford, Gets Good Grades" doesn't exactly have tabloid appeal. You may recall that when she was occasionally spotted with a gentleman friend, it would get a bit of press. But nothing scandalous happened, so it wasn't a huge thing.

"He was, and is yet, most likely, the wearisomest, self-righteous
pharisee that ever ransacked a Bible to rake the promises to himself
and fling the curses on his neighbors."
-Emily Bronte

Plus, Chelsea has never

Plus, Chelsea has never been as attractive (IMO) as the Bush Twinsies (I prefer the dark-haired one).

Bal

"Plus, Chelsea has never been as attractive (IMO) as the Bush Twinsies..."

That's a well trained eye you have there Bal. Btw, I prefer brunettes as well. :)

I'm fairly certain that if

I'm fairly certain that if Chelsea had been engaging in Paris Hilton-style theatrics (some of which were illegal, like fake IDs) while Bill was in the white house, the media would have been all over it.

I doubt it, Jason.  The media's coverage of the Clintons has always been about spin and damage limitation.  The media blew the fake ID story well out of proportion, but they would have buried the story if it was Chelsea Clinton.  After a few early, mean, cheap SNL jokes were made at Chelsea's expense for her adolescent appearance, the girl was left alone.  As for the "getting good grades at Stanford" point, aren't the University of Texas at Austin (Jenna) and Yale (Barbara) at least comparable schools?  Besides, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Stanford had a bit of a grade inflation issue back then.  I seem to remember that you could drop a class and/or apply for Credit/No Credit right up until the final exam...and the school wasn't awarding grades below a C. 

I'd disagree that UT is

I'd disagree that UT is comparable to Yale or Stanford, but that's not really important here.

Every top-shelf school in the country had has a grade inflation problem at some point or another. I certainly wouldn't doubt that Chelsea received a bit of slack or helpful benefit of the doubt. But it seems to me that she was, in general, a serious and extracurricularly active student. The Bush twins were consistently having run-ins with the authorities. But, surely you are correct that perhaps my perception of this may have been colored by the manner of media coverage.

"He was, and is yet, most likely, the wearisomest, self-righteous
pharisee that ever ransacked a Bible to rake the promises to himself
and fling the curses on his neighbors."
-Emily Bronte

Fair enough, Jason.  I may

Fair enough, Jason.  I may be wrong about UT, but I had always heard it grouped with Berkeley, Penn (Penn's public, right?), University of Virginia, and Michigan as one of the top public institutions in the country...whatever that means (I think there's a fair amount of subjectivity applied to rankings like this...but I guess when the same names keep coming up from survey to survey, a concensus is reached).

fitz...I believe you're

fitz...I believe you're correct about Texas (Austin) being one of the top tier state universities.

Jer

I could be wrong, but I

I could be wrong, but I believe Cornell is the only state school in the Ivy League.

And I always assumed Cornell

And I always assumed Cornell was private.  Go figure.

Yeah, me too. Cornell has by

Yeah, me too. Cornell has by far the largest enrollment in the Ivy League, too. I think 30,000+?

When I was in high school, I

When I was in high school, I used to get brochures from Ithaca College.  Cornell never bothered.

Bal & Fitz, Cornell is private.

Cornell is private. And I sooo didn't get in. Sorry, I'm like a week late on this discussion...

I hate to sound elitist, but state schools are simply not on the same level as private schools; I don't mean necessarily in terms of the education you'll receive, but in terms of opportunities while you're there and especially opportunities when you leave. This is sort of unfortunate, but true. And it shouldn't surprise economic conservatives that publicly-subsidized institutions are generally lower-ranked than privately-funded ones! But I've taught at and attended both kinds, and private universities can definitely offer more in terms of job placement and so forth, in part because they can afford to be incredibly selective.

Now, having said all that, let me iterate my belief that a determined, hardworking person who can 'do their own thing', so to speak, can do just fine at a state school. As an undergrad I went to the biggest public party school in New England, and once I outgrew that scene and stopped spending my semesterly budget on 30-packs, I realized that I could still get a great education.

"He was, and is yet, most likely, the wearisomest, self-righteous
pharisee that ever ransacked a Bible to rake the promises to himself
and fling the curses on his neighbors."
-Emily Bronte

aren't the University of

aren't the University of Texas at Austin (Jenna) and Yale (Barbara) at least comparable schools?  

Yale, yes. Texas, no. 

→ bal

A sheepskin is a foot in the door.  For the motivated student, Slippery Rock can get you where you want to go.

♣ a seal

cool

nepotism works even better than sheepskin

Supreme Court,  National Security,  Borders,  Fiscal Restraint, my litmus test for President.

→ Oh giver of the quiver

Thou speakest wisely oh great sage.  Now I must make the trek back down this mountain and ponder this true meaning of life.

♣ a seal

←♣, its a cynical

←♣, its a cynical morning so let me explain,

its like a crap sandwich, the more bread you have the less crap ya gotta eat

Supreme Court,  National Security,  Borders,  Fiscal Restraint, my litmus test for President.

→ More wisdom

I feel like I'm living "Seven Years in Tibet" O great Sage.

I'll try the fecal pickled Pita sandwich.

♣ a seal

You're Certainly Wrong

On Thursday, May 30, 2002 (give or take a day) Chelsea got so trashed at a nightclub she had to be poured into the back seat of a limousine. Only The Sun (a British paper) reported on it.

Here's a link to the animated .GIF from the story.

The U.S. press couldn't have cared less about how ex-President Clinton's daughter got stinking drunk in public -- "Paris Hilton-style".

Chelsea is ...

boring! that's why we hear nothing of her. She is less interesting than Amy Carter or Lucy Bug Johnson.  She makes Margaret Truman look scintillating.

I've always heard the msm

I've always heard the msm say..."that if your on the campaign your open for questioning. She act's like michale jackson did when he became really big.

This is Why Chelsea is "Kept Hidden".......

This is Why Chelsea is "Kept Hidden".......

She is the result of an affair between Hillary and Webster Hubbell when they both worked together......The similarity of features is undeniable...........

This is also why Hillary let's Bill have his affairs........

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21615320@N06/2183970420/

Ron Paul Truters Pouters here is a damsel to chase

Since the MSM will not question child Hubble Clinton, I have the perfect job for those Ron Paul Truters Outers.........send them to chase the damsel child and scream questions at her.

This seems to be right up Ron Paul's current ally of politics and it should make great television to find out if Chelsea can fake cry....whether she does Mom's no tears, adoptive Dad's fake tears.......or cries like sperm donor Webb Hubble........who we never see cry.

 

*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS

I realize that there is

I realize that there is that Web Hubble thing out there, and it is an amazing likeness...but I for one think Chelsea shouldn't be tortured for that. Ya can't pick your parental units after all...and I am thinking that Web must've been pretty drunk and dressed as a "Dream Girl" for this to be true....

That said, what she SHOULD be held accountable for is the fact that she is now 27 years old, she apparently wants to impact her parents careers, yet she also wants the media to stay at arms length. In my book, as an adult, regardless of who your parents are, you cannot have it both ways! It again highlights the double standard of the Clintons' life. You and I need to bare all, be an open book, be subjected, "Mitt Romney style", to idiotic reporters' screaming fits of bias that are supposed to be revealing and fair news items, while Chelsea and every other Dem, from the "money in the freezer guy" to Sandy Berger gets a pass.

The real issue here is that Chelsea works in an industry that the media would otherwise label as evil conservative money grubbing. She is someone who has impacted this so-called recession bearing economy. And somewhere there is a reporter who might ask her about that, or about what she thinks as a women of her dad's philandering, and who she will ultimately vote for (and I am guessing it ain't momma...). And THOSE are the reasons she has this super secret bubble of silence around her. For goodness sake, she didn't even comment for a 9 year old school reporter. She is afraid of something, and I think her name is Hillary.....

 

TGIF News Busters!!! You all are the best! 

"SNOW: But she's also the

"SNOW: But she's also the only person in history who could become a first daughter twice over."

Didn't Grover Cleveland have THREE daughters?  I'm too lazy too look it up... anybody know?

Huh....?

She is afraid of something, and I think her name is Hillary.....

------------------------------- 

She has been sheltered by the clintons because of her spawned heritage, Hubble......and the clintons have lived in fear of it for decades.......so chelsea has known NOTHING BUT fear of public scrutiny.....

 Now they think it is a non-issue, although marital infidelity in both sides of the whitehouse IS an issue......

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/21615320@N06/2183970420/

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21615320@N06/2091715592/

Uh, tin foil nut jobs belong

Uh, tin foil nut jobs belong on Dkos. Was that even a real photo of Chelsea? I don't like the clinton's any more than anybody else here, but c'mon.

Thanks, Restless for at

Thanks, Restless for at least pointing the way to an island of sanity in a sea of sludge...which doesn't belong here, or at Dkos, or anywhere else; and whether it involves the Clintons, Bushes, Obama, Guiliani, or anyone else. 

Unfortunately, I suspect I, or we, are just whistling in a hurricane.

Jer 

Yeah, Jer.  But you gotta

Yeah, Jer.  But you gotta admit, Prince Harry looks a HELL of a lot like James Hewitt and nothing like Prince Charles. ;-)

Hmm, now that I think about it, fitz...

Hmm, now that I think about it, fitz...you're absolutely right!  And I bet Harry is mighty damn grateful, too.

Jer