text: Chelsea makes political debut on Clinton train trip . CHILLICOTHE , Ohio 1996-08-25 - Chelsea Clinton , until now carefully shielded from the exposure of public life , made her political debut on Sunday on her father 's whistlestop train trip . Chelsea , 16 , was at President Bill Clinton 's side as he rode the rails through parts of West Virginia , Kentucky and Ohio , and was introduced at every stop . She even worked ropelines , shaking hands with excited fans . Hillary Rodham Clinton saw her husband and daughter off on the trip in Huntington , West Virginia and then went on to Chicago to begin a rigorous Democratic Convention schedule . Asked if Chelsea would have a prominent role in the campaign , White House spokesman Mike McCurry said : " She 'll do what she did today when she can . She has to go back to school . " The president 's daughter is going into her senior year of high school at Sidwell Friends School , a private school in Washington . McCurry said Chelsea has asked to go on the train trip and attend the convention where her father will be renominated , but said her exposure did not signal the start of a new political career . Chelsea " is a very poised young lady , but she 's not that much interested in politics , " the spokesman said .