As much as we would like to say "No it doesn't play a part," it does.
Many African Americans are voting for him with race as a big reason. GOP members have tried saying that Obama will never get the Latino vote because Afriucan Americans came as slaves and Latinos came as conquerors. There are many racist white people who refuse to vote for Obama because he is half white, half black.
Fox has even been a bit racist in their news coverage saying things like Michelle is Obama's "baby momma" among other things. Just do a search on youtube for Fox attacks. Better yet I'll save you teh trouble and link it for you.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ouKJixL--ms

Race is always an issue, even if it isn't discussed. Same goes for gender. Traditionally, WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) males have been in office, with a few exceptions (Kennedy for one). The thought of a woman, or anyone who wasn't white is thought of as counter to what the office and thus the nation are supposed to stand for. Despite what isn't being said by the opinion leaders, race most definitely plays a role in this election. During the primaries, the Democrats had to choose between a white woman and a black man. The debates over that choice were rampant: 'I'd rather have a white woman in office than a black man' was heard often by myself, and likely others. If one looks at this nation's own history, racism is still going strong today, even if we don't want to admit it. One of my friends even commented that if Obama won the election, the risk of an assassination is high because of his own heritage. Not necessarily his politics, although that would be part of it too.

I think Obama has to walk that fine line of trying to appeal to all. He is black in appearance but he cannot be "black" in attitude, whatever that means. It is too damned scary for people, unfortunately.

I was listening to a commentary recently that addressed this a bit. Even though Obama strikes me as a person who is even tempered anyway, the commentary was saying that he has to be. Any sign of the "angry black man" and people will freak out.

Anyone who says race isn't an issue is lying or in denial. Of course race is an issue with some voters. Sad, but true.

While race will continue to be an issue in this country, both for good and for ill, McCain did a lot to hurt himself in these debates concerning those who would be concerned by the race issue.

The stereotypical white fear of people of color is the "Angry Black (Hispanic, Arab, Brown, whatever) Man". Every time McCain got agitated, angry, frustrated, while Obama retained his composure, damaged that stereotype and reduced that fear.

Having one debater get angry can really help the other, regardless of race. Having the stereotypically "not angry" debater get flustered while the "angry" one remains calm, I suspect, enhances that benefit.

Being black is the new black.

It still does not matter what colour your skin is.

Bigotry is no longer the driving dynamic.

Fundamentalism is a function of bigotry.

America is showing its true colours finally.

And we the people are just about to get on top of
Governments, the way that Governments are just about to get on top of
Banking.

Capitalism just went the way of Communism, and ultimately any ism.

The principle remains, the ideology is displaced when the
hubris turns inevitably to catastrophy.

Barak Obama is not primarily operating from a fundamentalists mindset.
He is the front man for a genuine paradigm shift.

No matter how unconsciously, we all get it.

"You know, someone ought to shoot that nigger sonofabitch!" (A quote overheard in a Chelsea Michigan bar. No one said a damned thing, according to the witness who told me this story.)

Of course it's an issue. Obama can't bring it up himself - he'll instantly be labelled as "running for black interest" or something along those lines. McCain can't bring it up either, for then he'd be labelled the "racist white man". But it's still there.

i don't think race has been ignored at all in this election.

Racism is absurd in this day and age. I hope we would come further than this by now. People know that humans are equal, race is just about where your ancestors are from, and that the pursuit of happiness is universal.

It's human to fear what we don't know, and racism is a direct result of fear. The people who remain fearful and then turn angry are wrong. You remember, fear is how Bush got "elected" [twice].

Fear will keep the US below-average for an industrialized nation.

Racism [fear] will play a card with those uninformed voters who still believe that Barack Obama is a Muslim, or that he's a terrorist due to his middle name, Hussein. The ignorant, uninformed, social-issue voters who don't vote on the political issues.

Do your research, learn that Barack Obama is half-caucasian, half-african american, and get over whatever mis-conceptions you had for someone who looks different than the usual candidates.

I've been shocked at how many people are willing to have a microphone and camera shoved in their face while they exclaim for the world to see that they can't bring themselves to vote for a black man (or an Arab, or whatever they think he is). I would have expected people to try to veil their racism behind some other made-up reason. And don't kid yourself, all the whispering about Obama being a secret Muslim, as well as the "he's not an American like us" rhetoric...it's deliberately trying to tap into racist sentiment.

OTOH, I see people like my parents -- who are older than McCain, and weren't exactly raised in open-minded environments -- who have no hesitations about supporting Obama as the better candidate.

We shall see how it plays out in the voting booth.

It's so sad that in this day and age people still look at the color of others "skin” or “ race or religion" to determine if he or she is the most qualified person for any office. When will it stop? I wish I knew.

Who I want in office is the person I believe is best for the office, NO matter what political party they belong too, no matter what race, religion or the color of their skin is. I look beyond those things, I LOOK at the person and what that person has to say to make my judgment if he or she is the best person for whatever office they are running for.

It's no wonder that with all the wonderful things about this country there is, that still something like this (race, religion, skin color) still come into play. Wake up my fellow Americans, look beyond those things.

If race were truly that large of an issue, Obama would not be where he is today, leading in the polls and still gaining.

Yes, it's there. But it's it the background. I'm sure there were just as many people who couldn't bring themselves to vote for a Catholic, or a Mormon. Race/Religion; it's just another way of being "different" than a particular voter. There are plenty of people who won't vote for someone who's pro-life, or pro-choice. There are plenty of people who claim they'll flee the country if McCain is elected.

It's an issue, but it's only one of many. It is no longer the overriding issue that is was in days that are now thankfully past.