but it doesn't lessen the fact that both women and blacks are at risk. Sarah Palen and Obama has the capacity to set politics back 40 years if they are incapable of doing the job. But the Democrat Party is truly the ones that made the wrong choices and put the screws women in politics.

I'm sorry, but I completely disagree. A loss for either one of them doesn't necessarily set either group back! Only the very foolish have their hopes pinned on someone because of their outward characteristics, not what kind of a leader they will be. Likewise, only the very foolish think that Palin represents all women or Obama represents all black people - in fact, the opposite is very likely true.

Most women I know will vote for or not vote for Palin because of her politics, not because of her ovaries. Barack Obama may have dark skin and be of half African ancestry, but he is actually mixed-race, half black and white, and was far closer to his white mother and her relatives than to his African father or his relatives. You would have a hard time finding ANYONE with a similar background and life experience, much less the average African-American person of slave descent.

If anything, how far these people have come, and the fact that they are both completely viable on the world stage, sets women and blacks ahead rather than behind. Now that we've seen them in such positions of power and media attention, it will be easier to imagine them as world leaders. In that way, Hillary inadvertently paved the way for Palin's perceived viability as a candidate, and before her, Geraldine Ferraro, etc.

No matter who wins or loses, our country is pretty much evenly divided and it will be close either way. The American people have shown they will happily vote for either a ticket that includes at least one woman or one mixed race (black) person.

In a perfect world maybe, but this isn't a perfect world. A majority of blacks will vote for Obama simply because he is black. But some whites will not vote for Obama because he is black too. And many women will vote for Palin just because she is a woman.

And if Obama loses then blacks will think he lost due to racism and they will become disenfranchised. Some black social groups have already started planning post-election protests in the event Obama loses. Not so much with Palin because she is only a VP candidate, but there will still be disenfranchisement.

The fact is that to a good chunk of people only the outward appearance matters. Because in this world there is not a lot of stock put into substance, only perception. Especially in politics.

"A majority of blacks will vote for Obama simply because he is black."

But if that were true, how come they didn't all rally behind Alan Keyes?

I think it's very dangerous to assume that African-American voters are this monolithic. Yes, some will vote for Obama because he is black (or mixed), but it's evident that most African American voters choose Obama because he stands up for issues they care about, and because of his history helping poor unemployed steel workers in South Chicago, most of them from black neighborhoods.

I agree, though, that plenty of people are shallow, Unfortunately, many of these people vote.

The black vote swung to Obama as soon as he looked like a viable candidate. If he looked and talked like Jesse Jackson he never would have won the nomination. One of Clinton's biggest mistakes was assuming that she could keep a majority of the black vote if Obama looked strong. As soon as he did, they bailed in droves.

If Obama had not run, then Clinton would have kept the black vote instead and would have walked through the primary. As it was, by the end of the primary, half the Democratic party was snidely accusing both Clinton's of vieled racism.

No, race doesn't have anything to do with it.

No the reason Obama picked up the black vote was preciously for racial reasons and BECAUSE he is the FIRST viable Black candidate. They didn't rally behind Keyes because everyone knew he had no chance and what is the point in putting your money on a loser? Once black people saw Obama had the support of a good chunk of non-blacks they got excited, and they bet it all on him.

The Clinton's are traditionally strong with blacks, yet Hillary lost the majority of them the minute she looked weak. There is no other explanation as to how Clinton lost her massive support in the black community without losing her support everywhere else.

Its not like Clinton collapsed, the black community just saw that for the first time they had a chance of electing and black man and they decided to take it.

Clinton didn't lose the black vote in the primary because she looked weak, she lost it because Obama looked strong, specifically he started looking viable in the general election. That's a fairly significant difference.

Clinton started on top. The only place she had to go was down. Obama started at the bottom, the only place she had to go was up.

In order for Obama to look strong Clinton must first look vulnerable.