Perhaps no rebirth in American politics has been more dramatic this year than Hillary Clinton's. It is difficult to recall that not so long ago Ms Clinton was among the most unpopular first ladies in history. In 1996 her unfavourable rating stood at 41 percent, twice the worst number received by Nancy Reagan.
Hillary Clinton, while admired by many women and progressives, had failed to win over more conservative Americans. Too smart, too controlling, too obsessed with power, and too distant from a more traditional wifely role, they said.
Her initial forays into policy-making were also unsuccessful, notably her attempt to reform the health care system during Clinton's first term. She became the first first lady to ever be subpoenaed, when Kenneth Starr compelled her to testify before a grand jury investigating the Whitewater land deal and the role of Ms Clinton's law firm in it. Rumours swirled that she would be indicted.
And then came Monica Lewinsky.
With a wink of her eye, a nod of her head, or a public statement, Hillary Clinton could have ended her husband's presidency during the early days of the scandal back in August. For weeks, political pundits waited to see what Ms Clinton would do.
When it became clear that she would stand by her man, debates raged among women's groups. Was Hillary setting a bad example for America's young women by appearing to accept infidelity, even promiscuity? Behind the facade of a powerful, modern career woman, was she really just a traditional, in the worst sense, long-suffering wife?
In the midst of all this, it soon emerged that Hillary had a clear strategy. She would stick to her passion for issues and leave the gossip to others. Like a veteran politician, she hit the road on behalf of Democrats running for election, visiting 19 states in all.
In many ways, the campaigns were personal; in New York, for example, Ms Clinton was eager to see Republican Senator Al D'Amato defeated, a man who had viciously attacked her health care plan. In California, democratic Senator Barbara Boxer was in trouble in part for her initial refusal to condemn Clinton. In both states, Hillary's visits are now seen as helping ensure democratic victories.
The turn-around in the public's attitude to Hillary Clinton is stunning. At events, she is treated like a rock star. She is admired, cheered, and greeted by crowds holding signs that say "You Go Girl!". Her grace and dignity during one of the most undignified periods in American history has moved Hillary Clinton onto the tableau of iconography.
This month, Mrs Clinton is gracing the cover of Vogue magazine, an achievement that was reportedly coveted but never achieved by Nancy Reagan. Mrs Clinton is the first first lady on the cover of Vogue.
Editor Anna Wintour told the New York Times: "People have seen it as a vindication for her, that being on the cover of Vogue is beyond power and politics. It proves in a way that she is a woman of stature and an icon to American women."
Even bigger things may be in store. Time magazine is seriously considering Hillary Clinton for the Person of the Year cover. In early December, during a whirlwind media tour of Manhattan, Hillary's new high profile was in evidence. She had lunch with the editors of Time and People magazines. She presided over the lighting of the huge Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, and she hosted a glamorous movie premiere for Miramax Films for the opening of Shakespeare in Love.
It is little wonder that more talk centres on Mrs Clinton's future after the White House than her husband's. There is much speculation that she may run for the US Senate, either from New York, or from her home state of Illinois, where she is extremely popular. One White House source discounts such speculation, contending that Ms Clinton loathes the current climate of scandal in politics, despite her aptitude for surviving it.
"I think she has an intense interest in international issues. I would bet she will become some kind of foreign ambassador, a kind of Eleanor Roosevelt role," says this White House staff person.
Paul Costello, a former press secretary for former First Lady Rosalyn Carter, summed up the new buzz. "At any moment, you expect the lights to go up for the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical opera `Hillary'," he told the New York Times.
The adulation is, however, not universal. Jane Mayer, writing in the New Yorker, noted that Hillary Clinton only became a heroine when she went from seeming too controlling to seeming unable to control her husband. Journalist and commentator Maureen Dowd complains that Mrs Clinton is the hot blond material girl now, hanging out with movie stars and rich people, and that her serene smile is just a bit eerie.
And of course, there is the not insignificant matter of Congress' possible impeachment of the President, despite polls showing that 68 percent of the American people do not want it. In addition, Monica Lewinsky is currently huddled in Los Angeles with Princess Diana biographer Andrew Morton, collaborating on a tell-all book that may reveal unflattering details about Mrs Clinton and her relationship with her husband.
What is certain, however, is that Hillary Clinton is now perceived as a formidable and graceful figure in American public life. She is considered dignified, thoughtful, and mindful of the burden of preserving an image of respect in the White House.
Sadly, few of those qualities now come to mind when Americans think of William Jefferson Clinton.