Voters will get to learn more about GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman as he takes the stage for his first debate Thursday. But his three eldest daughters have already aided that effort. Mary Anne, Abby and Liddy have been tweeting under the handle @Jon2012Girls since late last month.
The girls have tweeted images of their dad playing with their two young sisters and posted cutesy comments like “Abby just lost in rock, paper, scissors. She will now be introducing my dad tonight at the [College Republican National Conference].” Making one think that sending out the younger generation on the campaign trail seems like a good idea. But is it?
In 2008, the candidates’ kids made plenty of headlines and they weren’t always good ones. Here’s when the kid’s weren’t alright during the last cycle.
Meghan McCain – As soon as the Huntsman girls started tweeting, comparisons were drawn to Meghan McCain’s McCainBlogette.com. But McCain got herself into a fair share of trouble. In GQ, she was photographed in jeans and a t-shirt holding an open beer, which didn’t go over well with the campaign. In her book “Dirty Sexy Politics,” she talks about becoming an annoyance and being banished to her own campaign bus to travel without the rest of her family.
Chelsea Clinton – When Chelsea Clinton started campaigning during the Democratic primaries for her mother, she drew crowds, but also miffed the media who she still wouldn’t speak to. She even refused to answer a question from a fourth grader, because the 9-year-old was reporting for Scholastic News. “I’m sorry, I don’t talk to the press and that applies to you, unfortunately,” Clinton said at the time. “Even though I think you’re cute.”
Bristol Palin – Within 24 hours of Sarah Palin being picked to be on the Republican ticket, it was Bristol Palin who dominated the news due to her pregnancy. Having baby daddy Levi Johnston at the Republican Convention may have made the teenage couple look folksy, but their rocky relationship has been tabloid fodder since.
Sasha and Malia Obama – When the Obama daughters talked to “Access Hollywood” with mom and dad, the Democratic nominee got some flack for putting his young daughters out there publicly. He later called the chatty interview a mistake.
