With Chelsea in the water, whose pond is this?

Chelsea Clinton could be force among college voters

In an all out war to become the leader of the known world, a candidate needs to pull out every available weapon and toss concerns about casualties to the sidelines.

Most candidates have paraded their children on stage, but understandably keep them off limits to the media and the voting public.

What’s funny is that, for the first time since the elections of the last millennium, the youth vote is deemed important. The problem with chasing young voters is that it’s difficult to measure which candidate, er, celebrity they deem important enough to trust.

Barack Obama whipped out the heavy artillery early with endorsements from Oprah Winfrey, Will.i.am and Fall Out Boy.

It’s barely worth noticing that John McCain has pulled a combination of geezer muscle and star power by gaining endorsements from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Tom Selleck. It hardly matters who supports McCain as long as “W” gives him the thumbs up.

But Hillary Clinton counter punched her co-frontrunner with such backers as Barbra Streisand, Magic Johnson, 50 Cent and Jerry Springer.

In a battle for the youth vote, all of the top candidates have courted some pop icon or another.

With Obama holding an edge in the “big-gun friends of Dems” category, it’s obviously time for Hillary to unleash her own firepower — her daughter Chelsea Clinton.

That’s right, Chelsea. The 28-year-old Clinton has been drafted into the ranks of family politics and is saying “aloha” at college campuses in Obama’s backyard in Hawaii.

Of course, this isn’t Chelsea’s first foray into the battle zone. She’s already been on the campaign trail during this rotation, but has been mostly silent. In fact, mom and dad’s former hip ornament has even made national headlines without speaking a word.

MSNBC reporter David Shuster was indefinitely suspended after suggesting that Chelsea was being “pimped out” by her parents. Shuster single-handedly made Chelsea a martyr and elevated her celebrity status with his unkind remarks.

One might think Chelsea isn’t a major force in the battle to get mom elected. Some have been critical that she’s too soft spoken. But this may play well among college students who are sitting on the fence.

A little soft touch might be welcomed after the barrage of harsh negative campaigning we’ve already grown accustomed to in this race.

Chelsea might draw empathy from the college crowds who’ve watched her grow up in her parents’ shadows.

The “aww” factor may resonate among young voters more than celebrity endorsements. Chelsea could bring both weapons to the battle ground, youth and name recognition.