With both a black man and a woman on the presidential ballot this November, observers agree racism and sexism are evident in this historic election, but not playing dominant roles in most voters' decisions.
Experts say racism and sexism are even less prominent in the minds of younger voters because they grew up in a nation more tolerant of diversity than it was for previous generations.
Although racism and sexism are still present in politics, electing a black president or female vice president would eliminate the question of whether America can or is ready to do so, according to UW-Madison Afro-American Studies Department Chair Craig Werner.
It would also cause the issues of race and gender to play even lesser roles for voters in future elections, Werner said.
The downplaying of the 'race card'
Two white supremacists' plot uncovered Monday to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama proves racism is not absent from this election. However, it generally exists in a much more subtle form, and is not very influential overall.
UW-Madison political science professor Katherine Cramer Walsh said no one in the United States is truly colorblind"" and voters' predispositions will determine if they judge candidates based on race.
Obama's race could hinder how he is seen among racially intolerant voters, according to Walsh, but may also be beneficial because the opportunity to elect the first black president is inspirational for some voters.
Mark Korshak, leader and founder of Project Youthanize, an organization promoting youth political involvement, said he thinks Obama's race helps more than hinders his candidacy.
""Obama symbolizes change. His race is almost a reason to vote for him because the medium matches the message,"" Korshak said.
Werner said he thinks Obama's race does not help his campaign at all. ""There is a certain cool factor [to electing the first black president], but that is for voters who would vote Democratically anyway,"" Werner said.
According to Werner, race has played a smaller role in this election than he anticipated because both Obama and Republican presidential candidate John McCain have downplayed the issue of race.
""Obama has neutralized the factor of race in a way that I would not have believed possible,"" Werner said. ""When Obama does speak about race, he tends to emphasize shared humanity rather than racial differences.""
The gender double standard
In the opening sketch on the season premiere of NBC's ""Saturday Night Live,"" comedian Tina Fey, portraying Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, alongside Amy Poehler, playing U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., made a plea for the media to be ""vigilant of sexist behavior"" in the weeks leading up to the election.
Poehler, as Clinton, earlier referred to sexism as ""an issue I'm frankly surprised to hear people suddenly care about.""
Although the sketch addressed the role of sexism comically, experts say the sexism referenced in the skit is present in reality and evidently playing a greater role in the election than racism.
Chynna Haas, support services coordinator for the UW-Madison Campus Women's Center, said sexism has affected Clinton and Palin differently.
In the ""SNL"" sketches, there is emphasis on the representation of Palin as beautiful and feminine and Clinton as unattractive and masculine, according to Haas.
Haas and Werner said Clinton was treated differently from male candidates during the presidential primary. According to Werner, public dislike for Clinton stemmed from disapproval of her appearance more than disagreements with her policy plans.
On the contrary, Palin's attractiveness works in her favor, drawing positive attention to her campaign, according to Haas.
Haas said both Clinton and Palin have been scrutinized for their appearances, from what they wear to the proximity of their children when they speak publicly, and such critiques are not applied equally to male candidates.
UW-Madison journalism professor Stephen Ward said satires such as the recent ""SNL"" sketches only strengthen opinions voters already have.
Ward said he thinks mainstream news media have done a good job avoiding the use of racist and sexist evaluations in coverage of candidates.
Economy trumps all
The economy appears to be taking the stage as the major issue of the election. According to the results of a recent Big Ten Battleground Poll, 63 percent of respondents said they consider the economy to be the most important issue.
Walsh said the focus on the economy downplays the factors of race and gender.
""Experimental studies have shown people are reluctant to support an African-American or a woman over a white male. But this election isn't occurring in a laboratory, and considerations of race and gender, while present, are trumped by considerations of the economy,"" Walsh said.
