By Dylan Deprey
Chelsea Clinton speaks to a group of supporters during her three city trip. Photo by Dylan Deprey.
The young girl who grew up in the White House during the Clinton Administration stepped on stage as a grown woman and pregnant with her second child. Thunderous applause grew as she made her way to the microphone. Hillary Clinton supporters were branded with the blue and red “H” sticker placed firmly over their hearts. The picture of choice was the selfie being posted straight to Facebook.
The dreary weather and sleet did not stop Clinton supporters from packing themselves shoulder-to-shoulder into the Hillary For America office to hear Chelsea Clinton speak on March 24, 2016. This was the first of three stops during the day. She also visited Waukesha and Madison.
With the April 5 election for the Democratic spot in the Presidential Primary election looming in the distance, Clinton and other candidates’ families are hopping on the campaign trail to solidify voters for the top spot.
Chelsea Clinton speaks to a group of supporters during her three city trip. Photo by Dylan Deprey.
She addressed the crowd as the daughter of Hillary Clinton but also emphasized that this was the first time being able to vote for president as a mother. Clinton added that she felt this is the most important presidential election of her time.
“I worry everything I care most about is at risk,” Clinton said. “All the progress President Obama has made and opportunities for progress he has made are at risk.”
These opportunities included the progress of universal healthcare and the fight to protect Planned Parenthood and the medical choices available for women. Clinton added that laws being proposed would reduce women’s choices 50 percent less then was available in 2010.
The Hillary for America office is located at 2701 N. Dr. MLK Drive. Photo by Dylan Deprey.
Clinton also mentioned how her mother’s experience is one of the main factors that would give her a leg up as the next Commander and Chief.
“The president needs to stand her ground,” Clinton said. “It matters if you know how to find common ground.
She added that with a primarily Republican Senate and House of representatives, a Democratic president would have to compromise with both parties to pass any legislation. She noted that during the time her mother was a senator in the early 2000’s, she helped push legislation in a similar atmosphere that the government is in today.
Clinton also touched upon upper education and the reduction of student debt.
“I remember in 1988, the day my mom finally paid off her student loans from law school,” Clinton said.
She noted this is a national issue but also a personal issue for Hillary Clinton after her experience with paying off her student loans.
“This is not a new issue,” Clinton said. “The federal government should not make a profit on student loan debt.”
When asked about the War on Drugs and mass incarceration, Clinton stated how the issue is more than just decriminalizing marijuana or body cameras. She noted healthcare and education is a subsidiary that needs to be addressed. She also added that the recurring emergence of lead and children’s mental health are all intertwined in the grand scheme.
“It is a lifelong sentence for kids,” Clinton said. “We need a president to understand why all of these things are connected.”
As a mother of seventeen- month-old child and another on the way, Clinton stated that although she is biased, her mother is the number one choice for the presidential election.
“This election is about the children of today.”