The 1988 Democratic convention in Atlanta, Georgia was Bill Clinton’s debut on the national stage. Unfortunately, Clinton's speech nominating Michael Dukakis ended up being quite boring.
"He droned on and on, and droned on," remembers Tom Brokaw. "When he finally said 'In conclusion,' people began to cheer."
Clinton quickly realized he didn't give his best performance. "I saw him the next day and I literally slipped out of the way, I didn’t know what to say to him. He knew how he’d done," continues Brokaw. Clinton bounced right back and talked to the media, and even made an appearance on Johnny Carson's show.
"That should have told you something about Bill Clinton at that point. He would make the big mistake, but then he would crawl out of it in his own endearing fashion."
Hence the nickname, “Comeback Kid.”