Obama = racism; Palin = sexism?

In recent days, the charge that an Obama loss in November would be caused by racism is ludicrous. Moreover, it is explicitly playing the race card-- something the Left says should not be done. And it sounds like the sort of excuse-making one often sees from those on the victim-obsessed subset of the Left.

But...

If race and sex discrimination are both prevalent...
If some people are wary of awarding the Presidency to a woman or an ethnic minority...

Then, the line of "thinking" that says
a vote against Obama is primarily or significantly a matter of racism
should be balanced by the notion that
a vote against Palin is primarily or significantly a matter of sexism.

Again, I don't have a dog in this fight-- liking neither McCain nor Obama. But there are important differences between the two candidates. In fact, I can't remember a more different pair of major party candidates (at least given what Obama says)-- at least back to Reagan/Mondale in 1984. And I can't remember a sitting President who was as unpopular as the Republican-- going back to at least 1980. So McCain is fighting a significant factor there.

To argue that profound philosophical and policy differences as well as guilt by association (McCain lumped together with Bush) are trumped by racism and sexism are primary factors in this election is hard to swallow...