I've been quite interested in the media reports that Barack Obama is the first African American this and Hillary Clinton is the first woman that. While both of these candidates are making greater gains than their predecessors, they are not the first to try.

Barack Obama is not the first African American to run for president - that honor goes to Shirley Chisholm who ran in 1972 (100 years after the first woman ran at all - see below). Representative Chisholm was also the first women to be a serious candidate from the Democratic party and she sure mixed up that party that year (Yeah Shirley!).

Hillary Clinton is not the first woman to enter the presidential race (albeit the most successful to date). You have to look back all the way to 1872 when Victoria Hullwell first ran from the Equal Rights Party. This was back in the day when there were several parties to choose from.

To give credt where it is due (after all, this is a nonpartisan chat, right?), the first woman to be a serious candidate in a major political party was Margaret Chase Smith in 1964 (Republican).

I think the best thing about this race is that finally, after all these years, boys and girls from all over the country can dream about becoming president. Just imagine the possibility that one day, the schoolyard bullies won't ever be able to say "you can't be president cause you're black" or "you can't be president cause you're a girl" again.

Makes me hope one of these two candidates will win just so we can catch up with the rest of the world.