ABC Fawns Over Chelsea Clinton, Hints of Possible Political Future
ABC's Good Morning America touted Chelsea Clinton's appearance at the Clinton Global Initiative in a fawning segment Friday. Former Clinton advisor George Stephanopoulos termed it "that rare turn in the spotlight for Chelsea Clinton," and ABC did its level best to get the word out.
Correspondent Dan Harris lauded Bill and Hillary Clinton as "two of the most powerful people in the world" but made sure to note their daughter Chelsea's intelligence and growing profile. He even went so far as to report a Facebook comment saying she should run for President.
"Chelsea's profile has been pretty high lately. She just launched a brand-new Facebook page this week, and one early commenter encouraged her to run for president one day," Harris touted.
ABC also pointed out the "tender moment" between Chelsea and Hillary when a microphone caught the two thanking each other after the conversation. Both ABC and NBC emphasized the light-hearted mother-daughter banter about technology.
"And a rare public mother-daughter chat from the former First Family, as Chelsea Clinton ribbed her mom, the Secretary of State, at the Clinton Global Initiative Thursday," cooed NBC's Today show anchor Natalie Morales.
[Video below. Click here for audio.]
A transcript of the segments, which aired on September 23, are as follows:
ABC
GOOD MORNING AMERICA
9/23/11
7:18 a.m. EDT
[7:18]
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Okay, now we're going to get to that rare turn in the spotlight for Chelsea Clinton. Growing up in the White House, she rarely spoke in public. At her five-star wedding, Chelsea was seen in these photos, not heard. But yesterday she shared the stage at President Clinton's Global Initiative with her mom, the Secretary of State. Here's ABC's Dan Harris with something we've never seen before.
(Video Clip)
DAN HARRIS, ABC News correspondent: (voice-over) There they were, together on the stage, the Secretary of State and her daughter Chelsea.
Former President BILL CLINTON: We are now going to proceed to have a conversation between the Secretary of State and her daughter.
CHELSEA CLINTON, daughter of Bill Clinton: Thank you dad, and thank you all for joining us this afternoon.
HARRIS: Whose voice we heard so rarely since she hit the campaign trail with her mom back in 2008.
CHELSEA CLINTON: My first event with my mom.
HARRIS: And though her parents are two of the most powerful people in the world –
CHELSEA CLINTON: What's the difference between the urgent and the important?
HILLARY CLINTON, Secretary of State: Well I'll tell you. For example, if you get a call that an embassy is under attack, that's urgent. If you –
HARRIS: Their only child gently ribbed them for their technological shortcomings.
CHELSEA CLINTON: As your daughter, I remember when I helped you send your first text message.
HILLARY CLINTON: Yes.
(Audience Laughter)
HILLARY CLINTON: That wasn't very long ago, I have to tell you.
HILLARY CLINTON: Both Bill and I – I mean, if you don't tell anybody, I'll tell you. We are primitive.
CHELSEA CLINTON: My father still refers to the internet as the world wide web.
HARRIS: In front of a live audience, Chelsea chatted with her mom about everything from global stock markets to "Arab Spring" to a new movie about an outbreak.
CHELSEA CLINTON: Those of us in the public health community are grateful for the movie "Contagion."
HARRIS: Chelsea's profile has been pretty high lately. She just launched a brand-new Facebook page this week, and one early commenter encouraged her to run for president one day.
CHELSEA CLINTON: Well thank you, mom. I'm once again grateful that you're my mom and my Secretary of State.
HARRIS: When her chat with her mom was over, a tender moment caught on the mike.
HILLARY CLINTON: Thank you, honey.
CHELSEA CLINTON: Thank you, mom.
HARRIS: And then the former President came on stage.
BILL CLINTON: You can see why I don't win many arguments at home.
(Laughter)
HARRIS: For Good Morning America, Dan Harris, ABC News, New York.
(End Video Clip)
STEPHANOPOULOS: I still call it the "world wide web" too.
(Laughter)
NBC
TODAY
9/23/11
7:17 a.m. EDT
[7:17]
NATALIE MORALES: And a rare public mother-daughter chat from the former First Family, as Chelsea Clinton ribbed her mom, the Secretary of State, at the Clinton Global Initiative Thursday.
(Video Clip)
CHELSEA CLINTON: As your daughter, I remember when I helped you send your first text message.
HILLARY CLINTON: Yes.
(Audience Laughter)
HILLARY CLINTON: That wasn't very long ago, I have to tell you.
CHELSEA CLINTON: And my father still refers to the internet as the world wide web.
(Laughter)
(End Video Clip)
MORALES: And while Hillary Clinton admits to being low-tech, Chelsea revealed her mother's self-appointed e-mail signoff as none other than "Techno Mom."
