America is a great country. This upcoming election will not be as historic as the race for the same has been. A black man and a white woman generating unprecedented excitement by running for president. A white man signing on as sidekick to a black man on the presidential ticket, a white woman on the other side of the aisle, also on board as sidekick - and so there's no misunderstanding of my words -  both competing for Most Important Sidekick in America. All this has been, and continues to be, absolutely soul-stirring... life-affirming. In plain words, race and gender have ceased to be detriments. As a nation, we've gotten over racism and sexism.

America is also, in pockets. a deeply prejudicial country. This is not the same as racism; it seems I will never have to stop stating this. A prejudiced person will have his doubts, but will give a fella the benefit of that doubt. A racist person will not. There is a huge difference, and those who ignore or deliberately misrepresent that difference, do this great nation a disservice. This is why so many independents and even Republicans - like the "recovering republicans" who have posted here recently, as well as a dear friend of mine - are willing to vote for Barack Obama.

This cannot be overstated: we as a people have progressed to this idealistic stance toward race and gender because, despite our ingrained prejudices, we give the benefit of the doubt to people we may initially view with hesitation. And that leads to absolute Democracy. That leads to the end of the prejudices. People like Obama and Palin lead us to Democracy. While people who scream racist at every turn... lead us into caves.

Are these horrific racists still abiding in this country? Absolutely! Ignore them, vilify them, marginalize them. But they are the minority.

And those who bring up the sector of race-baiting as the great bogeyman are nothing less then hate-mongering, bullying fools. When the media runs headlines on the subject of race day after day, when they speak of some mysteriously mercurial "Bradley Effect,"  when posters on this very page develop a post-November 4th Democratic loss strategy by blaming it on racism and characterizing all Republicans and Alaskans and mid-Westerners and rural Americans and anyone not zealously pro-Obama as backwards bigots, then politics as usual continues.

When Governor Palin ramps up the rhetoric and character attacks on Senator Obama, and doesn't quiet the mean-spirited people at her rallies, she allows these stupid, foolish people too much face (or voice) time and she is doing this nation a disservice. But even though she is associated with McCain, she is not McCain. McCain has consistently told his more radical constituents where there are wrong.

In this race, we've all heard characterizations of "we" and "they", "us" and "them". We've heard the other side denounced as wrong and wrong-headed. We've had the blogger, the politician with 7 houses, overpaid doctors and union reps, and the actor who makes 15 million dollars a picture all try to stake a claim to solidarity with the working man, trying to influence our vote. We've heard pundits and entertainers state that we need to "redefine America."

This is getting foolish, dangerous, ridiculous. America, which embraces Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and Sarah Palin... Joe Biden, John McCain, etc. - does not need to be redefined. It needs to be refined, reinvigorated, rededicated to the ideals of Democracy and fair play that were implicit in the framing of our Constitution, but got glossed over and rationalized and even trashed over the years.... but step by painful step, America has ultimately got around to embracing and celebrating these ideals.

And we continue to do it. God bless America. In this election, for both the parties and their myriad supporters, there must be dignity in defeat. And perhaps more important, there must be dignity in victory. No gloating should be allowed here - rather, let us celebrate the camaraderie and solidarity forged in a job well done and a race well fought.

And in an America that stands tall. Very, very tall.