The dotcom boom was ending, to be sure, and a nasty little recession ensured that the Democrats lost the White House just as their pledge to pay off the national debt began to seem almost plausible.

• 当时网络繁荣无疑即将结束，而当民主党偿付国家债务的承诺开始变得几乎可以相信的时候，一场令人不快的小小衰退，让他们丢掉了对白宫的控制权。