It had been widely assumed, prior to the 2008 election cycle, that a black Democrat couldn't win the presidency (Personally, I had always thought the first black President would be a Republican).

However, in retrospect, isn't it likely that George Bush's appointment of Colin Powell and Condi Rice to the Secretary of State position helped accustom the American people to the idea of having black Americans in the positions of high responsibility in the government?

In other words, without Colin Powell and Condi Rice paving the way for him, there wouldn't have been a President Barack Obama.

It's too bad that Bush, Colin Powell, and Condi Rice don't get the credit they deserve for breaking new ground just because they're Republicans.