In 1996, Dole proved himself to be one of the most gracious presidential losers in U.S. history — perhaps because it wasn't his first brush with defeat. He had unsuccessfully campaigned for the White House in 1976, 1980 and 1988. In his fourth and final attempt, he lost to incumbent Bill Clinton by 220 electoral votes.
After his loss, Dole revealed a sense of humor that had often seemed to elude him on the campaign trail. Just days after conceding defeat he appeared on NBC's Saturday Night Live, lampooning his own tendency to refer to himself in third person. He also went on to appear in American TV commercials for products like Visa, Viagra, Dunkin' Donuts and Pepsi-Cola. (His commercial with Britney Spears was especially memorable). He would even go on to write a book in 2002 called Great Presidential Wit (....I wish I was in the book).