I won't comment on the validity of this view, but I think the people who hold it miss one very important lesson from his unlikely comeback: the power of perseverance.

The man was basically finished politically when he left office and not very far from actually ending up in jail. Most were pretty sure of that.

So what happened?

Not only did that not come to pass, he's the next U.S. president now. Out of all the detractors, who is still laughing now?