On a separate note: if Obama wins, I will be very sad that my mom did not live to see it (she died in January '07). She was born in 1937 and grew up in Alabama. I do not believe that Obama's race should be a reason why he deserves to win, but it is the people of my mom's generation that I will feel proudest of if he does win.
I've been thinking the same thing for a long time. My grandmother grew up in a horribly racist enviroment. Her mother was brought to this country as a slave (she was granted her freedom before the war). I wish both were alive to witness this election. I believe that Obama's support alone has shown us how far we've come as a nation. Is there racism? Yes. Have people forgotten how truly bad it was? I think so. Me, I'll never forget the stories I heard from my gram. I'll never forget experiencing that racism first hand in the 70's when people saw her with my grand father (who was white).
We've come a long way.