Today marks a generation, 20 years, of Bill Clinton being a national figure, with him announcing his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for President on this date in 1991.
Considered an underdog at the time, few expected that the Arkansas Governor would end up as our 42nd President!
Bill Clinton went on to serve two full terms in the White House, the only Democrat to do so since Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Today, at age 65, having survived bypass heart surgery in 2005; having overcome impeachment charges in 1998-1999; having had a major impact on American history during his years as President from 1993-2001; having been involved in the unsuccessful attempt of his wife, Hillary Clinton, to be the Democratic nominee for President in 2008; and having seen her succeed in the US Senate and now as Secretary of State under President Barack Obama, Clinton has been “giving back” to America and the world through his Clinton Global Initiative project, and is seen as one of the leading world statesmen!
Bill Clinton has pleased at times, and infuriated at times, those who have witnessed his historic roles in the past twenty years, including the author who has long had mixed feelings about his legacy and his private behavior.
But there is no doubt that Bill Clinton is still a national treasure, and that his Presidential Library in Little Rock will be a much visited place over the years by tourists and scholars, trying to analyze and evaluate the man and his Presidency.
So this is a moment to celebrate for Bill Clinton personally, and for the nation at large!