Bill Clinton: The James Buchanan of His Age

Do you remember who was president in 1859? You probably remember the guy elected the next year, a lanky Illinois lawyer named Abraham Lincoln. But in the late 1850's as the country spiraled toward civil war, who was at the helm? A guy named James Buchanan.

Can you tell me anything he did, or anything he was famous for? I had to look him up because I couldn't come up with anything either. His one claim to fame is that he was America's only bachelor president. Other than that, he's pretty much a blank.

My prediction is that one hundred fifty years from now some blogger will write the following:

Do you remember who was president in 1999? You probably remember the guy who was elected the next year, the Texas governor George W. Bush, but in the late 1990's as Islamic terrorism rose to become a real threat to America, who was at the helm? A guy named Bill Clinton.

Clinton wasn't a bachelor, though he acted like one. His legacy will be his impeachment and an affair with an intern. No wonder he gets so testy when asked about his lack of seriousness about Islamic terrorism. He's going to be the James Buchanan of his age.