Barack Obama for US President, the Issue of Gender and colour

In the USA race, gender and religion are still considered of importance in politics. In the past 17 years or so, US politics looked as if breaking from stereotypes. In 1989, Colin Powel was considered as the first black to be Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, and then in 2001the first black Secretary of States. Madeleine Albright was the first female Secretary of States. Joe Lieberman was the first Jew to run as vice president with Al Gore in 2000. Condoleezza Rice is the first black female Secretary of States. Keith Ellision is the first American Muslim to be elected to the Congress. And the list goes on in the same way it did when during and after racial segregation a black was hailed as being the first mayor of a locality etc.

The US to show that it has shaken off its racial attitudes should be ready for a president regardless of race, colour or religion. Jessie Jackson couldn't get the chance of being a presidential candidate for the Democrats in 1986 presidential primaries because of his colour. The Democrats, in their next presidential primaries, may have to make a choice between a black candidate in the person of Barack Obama and a female candidate should Senator Hilary Clinton run for president. In this case, there will be a race between gender and colour to make of presidential elections a history in US politics.

Politically, the US does not seem to have exhausted all political possibilities for a president. But as long as there is still a racial majority of a section of US society, it will be unlikely a president will emerge from a racial minority. Only candidate personality and the acceptance of a person on their merit can make it normal to have whatever president accepted to be in the White House assuming responsibilities without attributing his/her possible shortcomings to race or gender