CNN Special Presentation Tomorrow: Race, Gender, and Politics

This is a very great topic that Anderson Cooper and the rest of the crew at CNN have brought to the fore. As I await its airing tomorrow, I have been struck by this thought: what would it take for Americans to judge each other not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character? In other words, why is race an issue, and more importantly, why has it become so important at this time in the presidential election? As a white American who lived and worked outside the United States, the issue of race hits me hard when ever I return to this country. When I am outside of the United States, I do not feel or taste the issue of race. I am not trying to be naive, but if solutions can not be found but the issue is just glossed over with these news presentations, it does no good. How often does the issue of race come up when a person of my race runs for public office or the presidency? Do the media give the same scrutiny to the issue of race when a member of my race runs for president? Or, is the media insinuating that when a minority is running for public office including the presidency, then the issue of race should come to the fore? Is it abnormal for a minority to run for the presidency? I do believe that this issue of race should be discussed everyday and not just during the election season.