What do you mean not ready for a black president?

I can't tell you how many times I have heard discussions or read articles about how America may not be ready for a black president.
This as an argument for why Barack Obama may not win the 2008 presidential election.

That has got me thinking. What is meant by "not ready?" I personally interpret this to mean that intelligence, competence, character and many other admirable qualities we look for in our leaders, as well as sound policy proposals would not count for much if you are black.

If color of the skin is the definitive factor here, why not call it racism? Why sugarcoat and repackage it using an, in my opinion, evasive phrase like "not ready for."

Here are a few questions directed at this "not ready for" reasoning. So what is it about black skin that may influence people not to vote for a black candidate? Is there a stigma attached to having black skin? And why, if that is the case.
Could it have something to do with the history of slavery where black people were considered to be inferior, and the resulting stereotypes?
If it does, and people are not ready to elect a black candidate in this day and age even after such inferiority theories have been disproved, when will they be ready, if ever?

And what would it take for them to do so? Because if it all comes down to dark skin, that's not going to change is it?

I am well aware that there are people that would never vote for a black candidate just because of the candidates skin color. Regardless of the candidates array of stellar qualities. And this is called racism in plain language: "A belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race". (Dictionary definition).

But I refuse to believe that the vast majority of human kind is racist. I am convinced that gifted individuals, who prove themselves worthy of the offices they seek to hold, will ultimately triumph over bigotry. There is evidence to support this from the past, such as Barack Obama being elected the first African-American candidate of a major political party in the USA. A feat he would never have achieved with only the African-American vote.

And so I wish to dream with Martin Luther King. I dream of a world where people are judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

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