What're You Callin' Historic?

Roderic Ai Camp, writing in Politics in Mexico:

What is remarkable about these figures [measuring citizen confidence in different institutions] is that for the most part they remain stable, even after the Fox victory in July 2000. For example, one might have expected increased citizen confidence in political parties, in the legal system, and even in the media, given the fact that each contributed to some degree to the fair presidential election in 2000.

It's always seemed odd to me the lack of affection Mexicans have not only for the protagonists in 2000, but even for the moment itself. The election was treated as (and objectively was) a shining moment for Mexican democracy, but now, when it's remembered, if often seems like yet another election that brought yet another disappointment into the presidency. As the passage indicates, it did little in altering how Mexicans conceive of their government. Fox and Zedillo occupy no special space in the pantheon of Mexican leaders, and their tenures are routinely referred to as mediocre, despite their vital roles in the end of PRI dominance. Fox's own performance after the election (as well as Zedillo's turbulent first years in office) has a lot to do with that, but it's still always impressed me how quickly the 2000 election faded from memory as a historic transition.