Now that Herman Cain’s accusers appear to be free to talk — here’s a question to chew on: Does it matter if they’re black or white or… ?

I hope we can all agree that it shouldn’t matter.

But would it?

Throughout this process, some have sought to compare Cain’s ordeal to the ‘high-tech lynching’ endured by Clarence Thomas. Thomas, of course, was accused by a black woman, and this makes me wonder if the comparison has led people to subconsciously conclude that Cain’s accuser(s) were also black? (As far as I know, we don’t know the race of the anonymous accusers.)

Many observers, of course, have argued that if the accusers do finally go public — and if they then seem credible and sympathetic — it could be a game changer. Along those lines, one can also imagine that it is at least plausible that some primary voters might react differently if a white woman comes forward to accuse Cain, as opposed to a black woman.

I’d like to believe this won’t matter — that Cain and his accusers would be judged solely on the merits of their case.

This may well tell us a bit about how far we’ve come as a society…or not.