Can I ask a dumb question about Obama?

If Barack Obama's mother is white and his father is black, why is he the first African American candidate to be his party's nominee for president (assuming there is no Clinton diving catch to seal the democratic nomination)? Frankly, I don't care whether Barack Obama is black or white, I think his policies for this country will send it into an economic tailspin in short order. However, I find it odd, and almost a little racist that the press and everyone who writes about Obama refers to him exclusively as "the first black candidate" or the first "African American candidate". Isn't this a slap in the face of his mother and her family? Why does the white side of his family defer to the black side in the eyes of the media? I honestly don't know and I really hope that his race plays no factor in whether or not he is elected president of the United States. I think the time has come when the US will readily and easily accept and embrace a black man (or woman) as president, I just think that Barack Obama is the wrong man, black or white, for the job based on his leftist views, inexperience, and poor judgement. I would love to support Condie Rice or Colin Powell for president. I wish someone could talk JC Watts into re-entering the national political scene. However, it strikes me as odd that the Obama's black father makes him black and his white mother, still makes him black.

In an ideal scenario, a candidate's race wouldn't enter in the thought process for political office, but "firsts" will always be noted by the press. The time will come when the United States has a minority as president. I hope when the time comes, though it will be duly noted in the press, it will be an after thought in the hearts of the voters who elected him....or her.