Race! Gender!

I'm beginning to loose sight of how thrilling and historic the Democratic presidential primaries really are because they have been dragging on forever. Whether it is Barak Obama or Hilary Rodham Clinton who nabs the nomination and (fingers crossed!) wins the presidency, this election is truly historic.
In 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment was ratified, stating that no government in the United States may prevent any citizen voting rights based on race or previous servitude. Fifty years later, the Nineteenth Amendment passed, stating that no citizen may be denied voting rights due to sex. It is arguable that the United States was not truly democratic until the Civil Rights Act of 1964, effectively outlawing the voting discrimination due to race.
During this election, many have argued if the issues of race and gender are still prevalent in this country. I myself have asked this question and it is, admittedly, a slippery slope. Why should it matter? If one is a bigger issue, who has won? If Obama is elected, does that mean African Americans have one up on women? The fact is, disgustingly enough, bigots and misogynists still troll our Purple Mountains Majesty, spewing bile and idiocy. No one has "won" until racism and sexism, whether obvious or subtle, is the minority and every person is afforded the same rights and opportunities regardless of color, gender, class, sexual preference, or religion. I would argue that would be aided with either Obama or Clinton in the White House.
One of the more thoughtful articles I've read on this subject of race v. gender is here. The writers explore why Obama talks about race and why Clinton doesn't (and won't) talk about gender. Maybe it's because I'm a white woman, but I still feel that Hillary is presented with the ever-present female paradox of "damned if you do, damned if you don't." Still, it's a very thoughtful article. And it's still historic. Still important.