What if the Republican candidate for president is Colin Powell and the Democratic candidate is Barack Obama?

What will the story be? Experience versus lack thereof? Military service versus lack thereof? Establishment versus change? 20th century generation versus 21st century generation?

Though hypothetical, and some will even say it may never happen, what if it did? Who will you vote for? And why?

For most elections, most Democrats and Republicans have an easy choice. The Democrats will vote for whoever the Democratic candidate is and the Republicans will vote for whoever the Republican candidate is. Voters at play in most elections are the independents and few Democrat and Republican voters who are ready to jump ship for whatever pertinent reason of the day.

In recent elections, some pertinent reasons have created constituencies like the soccer mums, the angry white males, the NASCAR vote, and the Christian Rights. This new constituencies made of independents, Republicans and Democrats became the influential blocks of the particular election.

One electoral constituency that is in focus this coming election is the racists. Yes, they do exist. While some openly say they are, some fervently deny that they are. How many are they? Nobody knows and nobody will ever know. What we do know is that this is the first election they will be one of the major players. Yes, their primary issue, race, is on the table.

Like the other constituencies before them, this constituency will have a chance to exert their influence on who becomes the next President of the United States. The two campaigns are bracing up for that. They will be wooed and disavowed, subtly and overtly.

If they are presented a choice between Powell and Obama, who will they choose? Will they rather move to Canada than choose either of the two? For them is that kind of a choice the only way a Black man can be the president of the United States?

These are important questions, though silly when seen through the prism of today’s reality. Of course, the loophole is that being that it is not the reality, many racists can easily choose Powell. Even when it is known that his fear of being killed by racists was one of the reasons that made Powell to chicken out from a race for president.

In 25 years, whether the borders are closed and sealed off or not, there will be more Hispanics Americans than White Americans in these United States. What it means is that very soon, one of the presidential candidates will always be non-white.

Are we ready for that as a permanent fixture in American politics?

Maybe if we think more about it, maybe we can begin to see that Obama is preparing America for its future. Maybe Obama is that future we are fighting for.

If you are presented a choice between Powell and Obama, who will you choose? Will you move to Canada? Will you need to be forced to choose between Powell and Obama to contemplate voting for a Black man for president?

We wait for November.

And as we wait, I am watching America. I am watching what it does with Obama.