# The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 30, 2001, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866 "2001-04-30T15:49:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Needs2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5e925/32.png) [@Needs2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Needs2know)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/1 "2001-04-30T15:49:29Z")
[http://law.about.com/newsissues/law/gi/news/~d7795f4.htm](http://law.about.com/newsissues/law/gi/news/~d7795f4.htm) Needs2know ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/2 "2001-04-30T16:45:55Z")
don’t tell me, lemme guess – Dubya is going to blame this on the election media for revealing his hitherto-secret DUI conviction back last October. “If those rascals hadn’t brought my drinking problems into the spotlight, my little girl would never have been tempted to get boozed herself!” (So which Bush daughter is going to be first with the cocaine problem, hmmm?) ---
**Author:** ![Needs2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5e925/32.png) [@Needs2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Needs2know)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/3 "2001-04-30T17:17:23Z")
Don’t know about that but I’m wondering how much more coverage these little youthful indiscretions would have generated if her name was Clinton instead of Bush. Needs2know ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/4 "2001-04-30T17:21:17Z")
And the debate here is? Are we debating whether or not underage college students drink? ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/5 "2001-04-30T17:21:17Z")
Possible reasons: 1. Coincidence 2. Genetic 3. W and his daughter both hung around with drinking crowds. 4. Media focus (E.g., who knew that Chaney had 3 DUI’s(!) until this issue arose.) It wasn’t the upbringing itself, since W was on the wagon while the girls were growing up. My guess FWIW iw #3. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/6 "2001-04-30T17:27:54Z")
OK, **needs** , go ahead and say it. You never consumed alcohol before your 21st birthday. You do not associate with anyone who consumed alcohol before his/her 21st birthday. Otherwise, apologize for this reprehensible slur. Or meet me in the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/7 "2001-04-30T17:46:05Z")
FTR: I’m not a big fan of Dubya and I will happily pounce on him whenever he missteps. That said I couldn’t care less about this. His daughter is a perfectly normal teenager. So what if she was caught drinking beer underage? So she is like a million other teenagers. It’s not her fault her dad is President and on the wagon. Of course, having a 21 year old drinking age is another issue entirely in my mind. Our country will draft you, give you a gun, teach you to operate and be responsible for multi-million dollar machinery and tell you to kill people it doesn’t like but that same country doesn’t feel you are responsible enough at that age to drink. Whatever… ---
**Author:** ![Freyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freyr/32/5763_2.png) [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/8 "2001-04-30T17:48:50Z")
**_GASP_ _SHOCK_ _HORROR_** You mean to tell me that our elected official and their immediate families have the same human failings and short-comings that the **REST** of us do!? Oh, the horror! Oh, the shame! Quick! Alert Congress! We’ve got to get to the root of this **IMMEDIATELY!!** ---
**Author:** ![Zumba\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/779978/32.png) [@Zumba\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zumba_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/9 "2001-04-30T18:11:25Z")
[http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3a1c2d876184.htm](http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3a1c2d876184.htm) Hey Needs, even the saint Al Gore has problems with his kids. This happened during the campaign. Teenagers! ---
**Author:** ![Needs2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5e925/32.png) [@Needs2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Needs2know)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/10 "2001-04-30T18:15:09Z")
No guys just wondering why the “liberal media” hasn’t pounced all over this one. Secret Service agents bailing her boyfriend out of jail, hanging around giving the kid a ride home while she hangs out nights in “shot bars”. If this were Chelsea Clinton someone would have had more to say about this than “kids will be kids”. That’s the debate. Is Georgie Porgie and his little clan getting more of a “by” because he’s percieved as being more “honest” than our previous Chief Executive? Let’s face it, I’ve seen people dog the Clinton’s poor kid because she wasn’t pretty. Now everyone is gonna leave Little Miss Shot Glass alone? Or is this a non-issue because the media is sympathetic to Bush? Needs2know ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/11 "2001-04-30T18:30:13Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve seen people dog the Clinton’s poor kid because she wasn’t pretty. Now everyone is gonna leave Little Miss Shot Glass alone? Or is this a non-issue because the media is sympathetic to Bush? As I remember it (and it’ been a long time) there were a handful of shockingly callous remarks made about Chelsea Clinton during Clinton’s first run for office. The people who made those remarks were fiercly attacked by poeple on both sides of the political fence–virtually everyone recognized that this was in particularly bad taste. In the 9 years since, the media has done a very good job of treating Chelsea Clinton as a private person. Trying to use this as an attempt to slur Bush is just petty beyond belief. Fixating on something as tangental and insignifigant as this (one drink in a safe setting?) as this suggests that there aren’t any bigger issues out there to call him on. Surely that is not true? On the other hand, I do imagene young Jena Bush is going to get one hell of a lecture tonight. I would not want to be in her shoes at the momment. (Though I imagene some of the perks that go along wiht being the Daughter of the Leader of the Free World come in handy. Probably worth resigning yourself to drinking in private.) ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/12 "2001-04-30T18:38:24Z")
I agree with **Manda Jo’s** recollection of the media and Chelsea. And I don’t agree that this is being ignored in the media. Seems to me that it’s getting about the same amount of play as Gore’s son’s arrest. though some what less than any Kennedy’s arrest for anything (of course, most of the Kennedy arrests were for things a bit more significant) ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/13 "2001-04-30T19:01:41Z")
N2K, you are invited to the [Pit](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=69396) to discuss this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Needs2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5e925/32.png) [@Needs2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Needs2know)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/14 "2001-04-30T19:04:34Z")
Actually I only think it’s getting slightly more play because this is the second time this child has been in trouble with underage drinking. Last years little episode got virtually no coverage. And you’re right they did finally leave poor Chelsea alone, but not until it was pointed out to them how tacky they were behaving. Barring that, Chelsea did not get caught out partying with her buds, with the Secret Service in tow either now did she? That must be a fun job. Having to follow around some suds swilling spoiled brat college student. Standing around in their black suits, ear piece in place outside some “college bar” waiting to escort the little princess home. Must feel like a real joke of an assignment. Then again this one might be the kind that’s gonna keep them on their toes. Needs2know…Yes, the poor Kennedys half the family is dead and the other half should probably be in jail. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/15 "2001-04-30T20:29:01Z")
> [@](#): > > And you’re right they did finally leave poor Chelsea alone, but not until it was pointed out to them how tacky they were behaving 1. The people who did the pointing out were from all over the political spectrum. It wasn’t like the Republican Party put “Chelsea is a potty-face” in their platform until a Democratic uproar forced it out. 2. You are behaving in a tacky fashion. Consider this pointed out. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/16 "2001-04-30T22:35:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Needs2know \* > \*\*No guys just wondering why the “liberal media” hasn’t pounced all over this one. > > If this were Chelsea Clinton someone would have had more to say about this than “kids will be kids”. That’s the debate. > > Needs2know \*\* Why not take it as a heartening sign that maybe the media has improved? We’ve now had two presidents in a row with children who are/were still dependent. Maybe the media is finally learning, after some pretty rude missteps, that these kids deserve some space and respect. We ought to expect them to do normal (even occasionally dumbassed) things just like any other kid, and not make a media event out of it when it happens. I’m probably optimistic in hoping that’s the case. However, I assert that it’s better than chalking it up to a vast media bias towards the Bushes or towards GOP offspring. I don’t buy the “apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” thing. Petty and snipish thing to say. But wait–maybe you’re onto something! I’ve heard Jenna uses gasoline in her car. And we all know W was an oil guy. Aha! Boy, that one sure took after her daddy, didn’t she? Plant yeller corn, get yeller corn, that’s what I always say. ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/17 "2001-04-30T23:10:41Z")
I thought that you might appreciate a view from the other side of the Atlantic. The chief response is amusement. But NOT at the fact that the president’s daughter has been caught drinking. Rather, the amusement is at the ridiculousness of a 21-year-old drinking limit. Nineteen? And **Manda JO** suggested that she would get a _talking to_? The woman is surely grown up! I fail to comprehend how she is answerable to her parents. I fully agree that they may have a _discussion_ about how best to avoid embarassment for the father, but such would surely have to be in the context of an equal relationship, not an edict. It is difficult to communicate the bizarreness with which those of us in the UK view this attitude towards those less than 21. I guess that the best way I can evoke a response it to ask you to image a country in which the drinking age is 24. I remember travelling over there at the age of 21 and being bewildered at being carded and at the attitudes towards me in bars. To my friends and I going for a swift drink in the pub was an everyday activity, not high jinks. Anyway, take that as you will. She has done absolutely nothing wrong in my books. pan ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/18 "2001-04-30T23:22:15Z")
> [@](#): > > No guys just wondering why the “liberal media” hasn’t pounced all over this one. Because it’s not a big fucking deal, genius. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/19 "2001-04-30T23:40:54Z")
Kabbes, the reason I suspect that she will get a stern talking to is not because she ought not be drinking per se, but because she has made the family look bad, and that hurts the family business, so to speak. I mean, if I were to show up at my mom’s office, looking as if I had been on a three day bender, smelling like a cesspool and cursing, I would get a stern talking to, and I am an adult. My parents couldn’t punnish me, but they could be disappointed that I would be so careless as to cause them severe public embarressment (unless there was a good reason, of course). Jenna’s crimes are so minor as to be laughable, but her Dad’s position is unique. Furthermore, they are almost certainly supporting her right now, and I think that gives them the right to demand she recognize that what are normal highjinks for other kids can have a negitive effect on her dad’s career. It sucks for her, of course, but lots of different things suck for lots of different people. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866/20 "2001-05-01T09:49:25Z")
[hijack]All right, you people – I’m taking this thread to Cuba! Obviously Jenna was influenced by poor media role models. Remember that episode of _West Wing_ where the President’s daughter (also 19 IIRC) goes to a Georgetown bar with a bunch of White House staff members? And ends up having to get rescued by the Secret Service? The show clearly condoned underage drinking, and a young impressionable person like Jenna would easily have been led astray. It’s that darned liberal media, I tell you![/hijack] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruit-doesnt-fall-far-from-the-tree/63866.md?page=2)