Would Americans elect a non-white or non-male president?

TV cable news was all abuzz this past weekend about the fact that Senator Hillary Clinton may be considering a run for the Democratic nomination for President in 2008. These reports often also comment on the possibility of a run by Senator Barack Obama.

Here in my blue-state world, it never occurs to me to consider someone's race or gender when I decide how to vote. But I recently talked about this with a friend, who happens to be an African-American woman, and she seemed quite certain that race or gender could trump the issues for an alarming percentage of the population. She believes there is no way that a woman or a black person could be elected President of the U.S. in 2008.

Is my friend correct? Are so many Americans people really that prejudiced?

If so, isn't it rather ridiculous, considering how much has been screwed up by the white men who have been running the government over the past few decades?

(Disclaimer: I'm not sure that I would vote for either Clinton or Obama, but not because of their gender or color. This article is only meant to address the issue of gender, race, and electability.)