Footnotes

Everything that happens, everything that makes the news or the center of cultural popularity leaves us with a little lightening. Sometimes we get lightening in a bottle. These things, these G-Block, lightweight featurettes are often conceived as mood changers, deal breakers or even earth shakers. They are seldom more than footnotes.

Just by way of setting you up for the cluster of non-notable notables – they are quite perishable - here are a few footnotes from the past. The 60's were so intense that there were very few footnotes, but the 70's were riddled with them. Remember Rosemary Woods and the photo of how she can delete 18 minutes of tape? Jerry Ford and the mis-played golf shot (he actually hit a guy) or Jimmy Carter and the attack rabbit or Billy Beer? In the 80's we had Reagan's jelly beans and Nancy's astrologer, Dan Quayle's spelling and George H.W. Bush's missing Pearl Harbor Day by two three full months.

And then there was Gary Hart's Monkey Business, which neatly welcomed in the reckless 90's. Clinton had Gennifer, Paula, Monica and impeachment. There was also the "Medical Security Card," but there was also war in Europe and Africa. Little did we know that that was just the opening act to the 21 Century when we collectively wished for the frivolous. America and the world suddenly got very serious.

What would have been footnotes in the elections and subsequent presidency of George W. Bush are still fresh in the minds of many. There were hanging chads in Florida, Michael Moore Movies. In the second election John Kerry provided the forgettable moments such as "reporting for duty," the Swift Boat controversy and almost anything said by his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry.

Now we have this historic election. Even calling it that might be something of a footnote. But we have some clearly not so serious moments as well, and by posting them here I might have extended their life longer than they deserve.

The winner has gave us the birth certificate controversy (presented by the same folks who gave us the Swift Boat guys, but this time there were seen for the joke they always were), and his heritage and religion – is he Arab, Muslim, Marxist? Unfortunately this is just the beginning of the nonsense Mr. Obama will have to endure. How about accepting the nomination at Mile High Stadium or the apparent love fest with the candidate and the press.

On losing side we have the energizer candidate, Mike Huckabee, who never seemed to believe that he was out of it. Then the real battle began. Enter Sarah Palin, perhaps the biggest footnote of all. From her surprising arrival on the world stage to her, frankly, unfortunate sendoff, the governor from Alaska had no idea what she was walking into. Let's go through them together: Clothes, glasses, hunting, Tina Fey, Bush Doctrine, Katie Couric, Brian Williams, William Ayers, bath robes and it is not over yet. Senator McCain added a few asterisks of his own. Some of it came from his opponent, cleverly grabbing the statement that McCain didn't know how many homes he owned. Then there was Joe. That's really all I have to say for now. If we are lucky that will be the first to fade.

Footnotes in some ways are our salvation. They are those little trivialities that give us a breather from the burden of this incredibly fast paced world. These tiny treasures will come in handy one day when something happens that is as far from trivial as it gets.