Bill Clinton gave a speech at Georgetown U. today, and almost nobody paid attention. That was the case 15 years ago as well, when he spoke at Georgetown and talked about a ‘new covenant.’ He was far down in the presidential preference polls at the time, and I was a 31-year-old reporter who had been in town for a year, and I thought he made a good speech but didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning the Democratic presidential nomination. In fact, that speech was the beginning of the drive that would put Clinton in the White House.

People underestimate Clinton, just like they often do with George W. Bush, and I suppose today may be a landmark as well. We’re likely to find out over the next couple of years.