I WAS here; you weren't! I DO know what I'm talking about. Go read all of the surviving threads, from 1998, in FR's archives!
He "came out of nowhere", in 1999, when he declared he was going to run for president!
when Bush won his second term in 1998, i remember being so disgusted with the California election (Gray Davis) that i told my sister i was moving to Texas... and she said, "why? their governor is planning to run for president." so if my sister knew this, it had to be common knowledge...