Are We Ready for a Woman, Hispanic or Gay President?

The notion of a Black president seemed to some a joke – until it wasn't

Maybe you were on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., that frigid, hopeful day Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States. Remember how you felt? How anything seemed possible? How America seemed destined for greatness? How much pride you felt? It's a feeling none of us will soon forget. Forty-three presidents, 43 old, white men. So much for diversity, eh Rick Santorum?

It may be in our lifetime, or maybe another’s, that we'll see a president from one of the following groups emerge. In some cases, they may be closer to the office of the presidency than we think.

The case for a female president:

Many speculated Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton might join the Democratic ticket in 2012, replacing current Vice President Joe Biden, who turns 70 this year. The rationale? President Obama needs to reinvigorate his party’s enthusiasm amid a down economy and high unemployment, a challenge for any incumbent, let alone, well, you know, the first Black president. These rumors were quelled somewhat by the Obama Administration’s announcement that Vice President Biden, a foreign policy stalwart, would lead the next phase of the U.S.-China policy efforts.

And yet, the prospect of a Clinton run at the nation’s highest office in 2016 has never been more intriguing. She’d have the two biggest stars the Democratic Party has ever seen -- her husband and her boss -- behind her. And, if we’re being honest, she ran into something of a juggernaut in 2008 against Obama.

While considerations of gender played a role in the 2008 Democratic Primary, Clinton’s name recognition, intelligence and vast experience as a New York state senator and then secretary of state would make her an extremely intriguing factor in 2016. Lest we forget, Clinton was ahead in almost every major poll as late as November 2007. Indeed, the major component that defined the historic, game-changing rise of Barack Obama wasn't so much his undressing of Sen. John McCain in a popular vote, but rather his unseating of the Clinton political machine.

But is America ready for a Muslim or Mormon president?