Reply #15: I think that that may have a lot to do with it.

[China_cat]

I really doubt the 'party of inclusion' would have many votes for somebody the shade of Al Sharpton (even if he could keep his mouth shut) but they've been desensitized to color by the roles Colin Powell and Condi Rice have played in this administration so that African-American is ok, just as long as he doesn't look too much like it.

Sort of like the people who say 'I don't care if you're gay as long as you don't act like it in public'.