How important are the daughters??

The presidential elections in America is dominating the press at the moment. Everywhere in any news medium there are many articles, videos and blogs available discussing the progression of the elections. One thing that has not been mentioned very much in the UK media is the candidate’s children. I came across a very interesting article on BBC news about the importance of the behavior of the candidate kids, and how they aide their parents in their campaigns. The behaviors, or rather misbehaviors, of both the current President Bush's twin-daughters Jenna and Barbara, and also the candidate’s children are like gold to the media. Pictures and stories about how the Bush twins got drunk and fell over in college, and former candidate Kerry's daughter Alexandra wearing a see-through top in Cannes, have been spread all over the world, most certainly causing some major distress to each party's PR departments.

Jenna Bush fallen over...

But the offspring of the candidates can, and are being, used by their candidate parents to reach the younger voters. The most frequently mentioned ones are Chelsea Clinton and Meghan McCain, who both of them are very actively taking part in the campaigns of their parents, but in two very different ways. "It’s Meghan’s “What You See Is What You Get” attitude that helps set her apart from other candidates’ kids. More liberal than her father, this Columbia University graduate’s overwhelming need to communicate her experiences on the road has manifested itself in the form of a blog." As stated in the BBC article; "While Ms Clinton tells voters how fiscally conservative her mother is, Ms McCain shares make-up tips and playlists of music from her favourite pop stars, like Kanye West and the Ramones." Meghan McCain has a blog site called McCainBlogette.com where she, and two of her friends, blogs about life on the road with her dad in the "Straight talk express". The blog has been said to be quite controversial since Meghan does not in the traditional fashion keep a low profile, using her blog to cheerlead her father. She is being a citizen journalist and the blog contains casual comments about the campaign, cities they have visited and victories won by her father. There are also video clips and photos, that I think traditionally would have been banned and cursed by any candidates PR department. "The girls post photos of "Dad," the candidate, having his makeup done in the pre-debate green room." On the site you can also access the blogette playlists where Meghan lists her favorite music at the moment.

Meghan McCain with her dad..

Meghan McCain is up for an award for her blog, and I think it gives a really good and relaxed insight to what's going on behind the scenes of her father's campaign. By communicating to the public through means like blogs, McCain's daughter helps her father to reach out to younger voters. She makes it easy to relate to the candidate in a new modern fashion, very different to the old rigid style of political communication. Chelsea Clinton is a lot less rebellious as keeps to the more traditional ways of promoting her mother, but is still a very important part of the campaign, targeting young voters that have a track record of not being the most dedicated voters.

The presidential candidate's children belong to a new generation who are more used to using online means of communication than their parents. They are also used to the more conversational tone that is very effective in reaching out to younger audiences, and are therefore invaluable to their parents. Through this type of communication the candidates gives a more personal in look into their campaigns, or at least McCain is, which will most certainly benefit him greatly...