Journal-News.com

No matter who wins the presidency on Nov. 4, history will be made. If Sen. Barack Obama wins, he'll be the nation's first black president. A Sen. John McCain victory would put into the White House the nation's oldest-elected president and the first female vice president, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. But these milestones also can be hurdles for candidates, as voters take their attitudes on race, age and gender to the ballot box.

Polls hint that prejudices exist, not in overwhelming numbers, but enough to make a difference in a country where the previous two presidential elections were each won by less than 3 percent.

But whether these polls uncover deep-seated bias is unclear, according to Ryan Barilleaux, chairman of the political science department at Miami University.

"People seem to be extracting meaning from these polls based on preconceived notions," he said. "So if you want to find racism in these polls, you're going to find it, if you don't want to find it, you won't find it."

But voters do look for candidates they can relate to. Not just in race, gender and age but also issues such as in economic status, education and culture, he said.

Middletown resident Julia Ward, an 84-year-old white woman who worked as a poll judge for 50 years, said she knows race is an important issue in this election because "black people aren't smart enough to rule the country. No one should vote for Obama."

"They just don't think like the white. I would hate to see (Obama) in office because blacks just aren't qualified," she said.

But while age, race and sex are significant in this election, they aren't and shouldn't influence voters, said 72-year-old Middletown resident Mary Anne Chrisman.

"Some people will be influenced by this, but I just tell them they should go on experience and knowledge."

Using this criteria helped Chrisman, who is black, to decide to vote for McCain.

"His age is one of the things that has given him the experience and the knowledge he needs to be in the White House," she said. "I'm a Republican, but it's because he has been in the military and knows a bit about how Washington works."

However, 23-year-old white Hamilton resident John Heathers said it's McCain's age that has him worried.

"Sure, he has that experience, but let's face it, McCain is getting old and if he kicks over, it's Palin that will be in office," he said. "She doesn't have the experience to be president."