As Mr. Clinton wrote in his memoir, "After the 1994 elections, I had been ridiculed as an irrelevant figure, destined for defeat in 1996".
With an eye to militant opinion across the Arab world, to whom he has frequently presented himself as a historic figure destined to lead Arab armies to the defeat of Israel, Mr. Hussein also invoked the Palestinian suicide bombers who have caused devastation with their attacks on Israeli targets -- to each of whose families Mr. Hussein has pledged a cash payment of $25,000.
Labour strategists will object that neither of these subjects will move many votes in marginal seats, but they underline a sense of flimsiness that Mr Miliband needs to shed if he is to become a more substantial figure, destined for Number 10.
He represents the sort of political figure destined to become a forgotten footnote, an answer to a pub quiz question, a guest on Gabby Logan's Flockstars.
While China's reported philanthropic donations are now comparatively tiny — about $8 billion last year, the government says, compared with $308 billion in the United States in 2008 — changes in China's economic structure and in government policies make that figure almost destined to rise quickly.
Combining what he knew of struggling New York literary characters with what he had read about events in Europe, Lloyd prophetically evoked those tragic figures who were destined to linger too long in Nazi territory, imagining that their deep love of German culture would shield them from harm.
Bingham reflected on "20 years of blood, sweat and tears" and had figured he was destined to miss out on a world championship final, until this run.
One day, Eliot Laurence Spitzer was a national figure some saw destined for the White House; the next he was a target of ridicule.
While Whittaker, beloved by his players, became manager and promptly won the championship, Mee - a steely character and far less of a father figure - was destined not only to win that double but to survive in his role as manager for a decade.
