Throughout this presidential campaign, it seems history continues to be made at every critical turn.The first woman to go the primary and caucus distance of the Democratic race for president, Hillary Clinton, earned an historic 18 million votes to fall just shy of being the first woman to be nominee of a major political party.
The first black man to become the nominee of that party, Senator Barack Obama, has rightfully captured his place in history.
And Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, has become the first woman chosen as a vice presidential candidate for the Republican Party.
No matter who wins, no matter the politics, history will be made in November when voters elect either the first black president or the first female vice president in this country’s history.
The glass ceiling will have been broken or the racial divide will have been crossed, and neither scenario is short of inspiring.
By historical parallel, the emergence of Obama and Palin for the home stretch of this race for the presidency came during a week of anniversaries.
For Obama, his acceptance speech came on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech.
And Senator John McCain’s pick of Palin came just days after the anniversary of ratifying women’s right to vote in this country.
This is truly an historic election on both sides of the ballot, demonstrating the moral high ground to which this country has finally risen.
It shows that race and gender are no longer barriers to aspiring to this nation’s highest offices, and that should be seen as inspiring no matter which side you are on.
