If gender, racial or religious change were going to sweep through the White House, it makes sense that 2008 would be the year. In the past year we have seen the first Muslim elected to Congress and the first woman become speaker of the House of Representatives. And why should the U.S. be any different than the many foreign countries led by a woman, including Great Britain, Israel, India and Canada?

Aside from the presidential field-which includes a woman, an African-American, a Hispanic, a Mormon and some septuagenarians-the political landscape also includes markers that indicate significant change may be on the way. This is a time when two out of three likely voters (64 percent) believe the nation is on the wrong track, according to our July polling, and just 25 percent think the nation is headed in the right direction. Given that white men have led the nation to what a strong majority thinks is a low point, many may think a woman or a minority could do no worse.

As part of a recent wide-ranging survey commissioned by cable television's Game Show Network on the subject of prejudice, we asked Americans about their attitudes about race, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender, physical appearance and politics. What we found was good news for Clinton, Obama and Richardson.

Big majorities of Americans said they would not rule out voting to break the presidential mold, as 85 percent said they would vote for a woman for president, 91 percent would vote for an African-American, and 84 percent would vote for a Hispanic. Almost all Democrats-95 percent-said they are open to voting for a woman for president. Independents and Republicans were only slightly more resistant. Among independents, 88 perrcent said they could vote for a woman, while 74 percent of Republicans said they could do so. Political affiliation aside, younger Americans and those from wealthier backgrounds are also more likely to say they would vote for a woman.

The same mostly holds true for black and Hispanic candidates. A vein of resistance can be found across the board among poorer and older respondents. When asked to choose from a variety of traits the type of candidate they would be least likely to vote for-including gender, race, religion, age and sexual orientation-the factor that brought out the most resistance was age. One in five (21 percent) said they would be least likely to choose a person older than age 70 to be president.

Overall, 51 percent said they would not rule out an older candidate, but 33 percent said they would and 16 percent were unsure. When given a list of many types of candidates, other traits also drew a sizable negative reaction: 20 percent would be least likely to choose an atheist, 17 percent an Arab-American, and 14 percent a gay candidate. The current field of Republican candidates most closely reflects the white, older male tradition of past presidencies, but Mormon candidate Mitt Romney stands out from his fellow Republicans. While 70 percent said they would have no problem considering a Mormon candidate for president, 19 percent would rule out voting for a candidate of that faith.

Considering how close our recent national elections have been, any single element that could move voters a few points either way takes on even greater significance. But the 2008 election may well demonstrate whether-or not-America's electorate is able to look beyond those single issues at the ballot box. (10/4/2007)