America ready for a black or female president?

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) -- America is ready to elect a black or female president, voters in South Carolina's Democratic primary told exit
pollsters, saturday.


Sen. Hillary Clinton campaigns at Shoney's Restaurant in Columbia, South Carolina, on Saturday.

The state's Election Commission said the voting was "going smoothly" throughout the day as voters marked their ballots for either a black man, Sen. Barack Obama; a white woman, Sen. Hillary Clinton; or a white man, former Sen. John Edwards.

The exit polls, taken from a sampling of 1,269 voters statewide, showed that 77 percent believed the country was ready for a black president and 74 percent ready for a female commander in chief.

Voters chose the economy as their top concern, with 89 percent saying it was "not good" or "poor." They picked health care, then the war in Iraq, as their next major concerns. South Carolina Democrats put the same three issues in the same order in the 2004 primary.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio was also on the ballot in South Carolina, although he withdrew from the race this week.

Voters made up their minds who they backed earlier this year than in 2004, when nearly a quarter decided either on the day of the primary or in the three days before who they would support. Ten percent of this year's voters waited until Saturday to choose, with another 10 percent deciding only in the last three days. Thirty-two percent decided in the last month.

Forty-seven percent made up their minds at least a month ago, more than double the percentage of 2004.

This question can not be answered until the general election in November for nobody knows what political strategy used by the republicans to knock out their strongest opponent.I know my statement sounds cynical,but we have to remember this is the party that causes the Watergate scandal,the irangate scandal.I know I am a pessimist ,but I am also a realistic person.

I am waiting for next Tuesday when more than twenty states will vote in super Tuesday. At any rate, no matter what happens next Tuesday ,Senator Obma proves that he is a serious candidate for the democratic party nomination. Now that the daughter of president Kennedy has endorsed his candidacy,nobody can deny that an evolution has occured in the new generation of americans.It is unbelievable that a Black presidential candidate can win a primary election in a Southern State where a native son of that State ,a white man, was one of his opponent.This is a remarkable accomplishement no matter how you dissect and analyze it.

One can say without hesitation that serious and important changes have taken place in the American psyche.

There is no doubt that from now on, the perceptions of the past have given way to progress and evolution of the minds.

No longer will the quest for justice and an equal share of the wealth by the blacks, be denied.

No longer will a black or a female candidacy be taken lightly as only an exercise in testing the system.

Now and forever, blacks and females will be taken very seriously and their claims for justice and equality will have to be heard and considered, because now they have demonstrated that their voice and their electoral power can unseat the status quo.

No matter what the final outcome will be, those gains will be there for the continuation of this nascent progress.

And for the world, this means better days, because with this new wind of progress, the old imperialistic practices might give way to a better understanding of the needs of other peoples and less interference in their affairs.