Thanks Hillary, good luck Obama and the fear of race

I was one of those hoping that Hillary Clinton would be the Democrat candidate for the White House on 4th November.

However, a week is a long time in politics and 5 months a life-time in US politics. Whatever was going to happen with the Democrats history was in the making, either the first woman to have a serious run for President or a black person. And it's Barack Obama who has the chance to make history. And how the world wants him, but let's face it, the world wants anyone who is not a Republican.

But not all Democrats it would seem. Some of Hillary Clinton's supporters seem more intent on John McCain becoming President rather than Obama, you'd never think they were in the same party and it poses two questions? First, all those who buried their heads in the sands in 2000 and voted Green/Ralph Nader rather than Al Gore, do they really want to be like Guardian readers who think that they know better than anyone else and if they don't have it their way they will be the party-poopers? Second, and far more worrying. Is it race?

We have heard a lot about how the black vote has come out for Obama, yet I fear that some Democrats will use any excuse, other than openly mentioning the race issue, not to support Obama. And this is where Obama and the Democrats may have a problem. Remember Tenneessee when Harold Ford Jnr ran for the Senate two years ago? The Democrats had major House and Senate gains, some in tight contests (Virginia springs to mind giving the Democrats their Senate win) and Harold Ford lost.... just and he is black. The race question was not mentioned aloud, but you worry and you fear.

I hope Obama will not be a Harold Ford on a national stage.

So, thank you Hillary for your campaign. You would have made, I believe, an excellent, President and let us hope it is not long before we have a woman President. But in the meantime, good luck to Obama and here's hoping that the hype balloon does not burst.