I am sure most people will recognise the following words of Senator Obama's keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention:

"... Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us -- the spin masters, the negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of "anything goes." Well, I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America -- there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America -- there’s the United States of America. ..."

In using those words the Senator was acutely aware how much influence belief systems, ethnicity and race have to do with influencing voter intentions. None of these factors are a true measure of actual capability or ability of the individual candidate.

Even here in Australia where we claim that we live in a progressive, tolerant and multicultural society; it is the factors of race, religion and ethnicity that has still to a disturbing degree has a large bearing on who is ultimately elected to government office.