While some think that Obama's race and Clinton's gender are problems, here is a good example of why they may be positives instead:

Top Republican strategists are working on plans to protect the GOP from charges of racism or sexism in the general election, as they prepare for a presidential campaign against the first ever African-American or female Democratic nominee.

Yes, Republicans are scared crapless that they will say the wrong thing. Keeping all that racial and sexual hostility undercover is pretty tough.

John McCain is going to have a tough time here. He's a walking gaffe machine on the campaign trail, like when he suggested yesterday he could lose the election over Iraq. Besides trying to keep that out-of-control temper bottled up, he's going to have to keep his tongue in check for anything that smells of racism. Fat chance that is going to happen.

And McCain's other problem are all those conservatives who don't like him anyway are going to be out there saying all kinds of racist crap about Obama, and McCain will have no control over them. There will be no message discipline from the GOP this cycle. In fact, those who despise McCain may just spout off to kill his campaign.

UPDATE: Gee, that didn't take long: McCain distances himself from supporter's comments