Reply #24: Hear hear

[beaconess]

I notice that this argument only seems to come up when a Black or female candidate seems poised to actually make it into the serious ranks. I didn't hear much discussion about whether America was ready for a Black president when Shirley Chisholm, Jesse Jackson, Doug Wilder, Alan Keyes, Liddy Dole, Carol Moseley Braun or Al Sharpton ran for president - I think it's because they were not considered serious contenders. Yet when two potential candidates who are generally seen as formidable and viable stick their toes in the water, folks start wringing their hands about whether "America" (never themselves) is "ready." The very fact that they are being taken seriously should be proof that maybe America IS ready - or at least can be made ready in time to elect one of them.