This week, the political world (perhaps the whole country) has been riveted by Sen. Barack Obama’s speech on race relations. The leading Democratic contender for president explicitly tackled an issue that his campaign so far has addressed only implicitly.

Even if he fails to secure his party’s nomination, or later this fall to win the White House, Obama has already made history. The country seems enamored of the idea of an African American president. Surely this will make it easier to break down racial and ethnic barriers in the office and on the shop floor, too. 

If Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton defeats Obama to become the Democratic presidential standard bearer this fall, she will become the first female nominated by either party. If America embraces a woman as president, it provides a powerful incentive to shatter glass ceilings in the workplace.

It may not have occurred yet to most voters, but the Republican nominee also will be historic if elected—and produce implications for the workplace. By November, Sen. John McCain will be 72 years old. He would be the most senior president ever to take his first oath of office.

If McCain is standing at the Capitol with his hand on the Bible in mid-January, he will embody an important workforce trend—the need for people to work longer. If it is true that traditional retirement is a thing of the past, what better place to make that movement a reality than in the White House?

The senator has demonstrated his energy by prevailing in a tough GOP primary. This week, he has toured the Middle East and Europe. When he comes back to the United States, he’ll launch what is likely to be a vigorous round of fund-raising, which will only be successful if the candidate jumps into it with gusto.

Convincing voters that his age will not keep him from performing his duties in office is only McCain’s first challenge. He also has to assuage fears that his skin cancer will come back and debilitate him. McCain showed several years ago that he can maintain his Senate schedule while going through a round of chemotherapy.

So, if McCain becomes president, he’ll force us to consider how productive and effective older workers can be. He’ll also be an example of why it’s not fair to discriminate against those who have battled life-threatening disease. When they recover, they’re ready to join the labor market again. Their supervisors, in this case the American people, can put aside their lingering doubts aside.

No matter your choice for president—Obama, Clinton or McCain—the winner will stand as a strong argument for why U.S. workplaces should be more inclusive.