I don't know - I was barely paying attention back then. I know that Clinton had the .com bubble to help his cause, but Bush also had the housing bubble for a time, whatever that's worth. Just looking the numbers, Clinton looks like a fiscal conservative, while Bush looks like the biggest free-spending liberal in recent history. The amount our country owed then vs. now is staggering, not to mention the fact that our national debt was actually decreasing every year under Bubba. I guess Clinton didn't start two wars either, so that probably helped the bottom line.
Bush is certainly more of a social conservative, but I really couldn't care less about that.
Anyway, the discrepancy in our national debt, year to year, is too great to be explained by luck. In all seriousness, what do you think? I know you know a lot more about these financial issues than I do.