WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In what may be good news for two potential Democratic presidential contenders -- Sens. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, and Hillary Clinton, D-New York -- a new CNN poll indicates that Americans may be ready for a black or a female president. However a large section of Americans, according to the poll, are skeptical that the nation is ready to break its string of 43 white, male heads of state.

Obama -- the Senate's only African-American -- has said he believes America is ready for a black president, and most of Americans who responded to the poll -- 62 percent-- agree with him. Of those who responded to the poll, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation for CNN, 32 percent believe America is not ready for a black president.

A similar number of Americans -- 60 percent -- believe that the nation is ready for a female president, according to the poll. The margin of errors on both questions were plus-or-minus 3 percent.

Whites were more likely than blacks, according to the poll, to believe that the U.S. is ready for a black president. Nearly two thirds, 65 percent, of whites believe that the nation was ready for a black president. However, a large portion of each race -- 42 percent of African-Americans and 31 percent of whites -- believe the country is not ready for an African-American president.

The margin of error on racial breakdowns was plus-or-minus 5 percent. The poll involved 1,207 Americans.

For full poll results and analysis of the findings watch a special edition of 'Paula Zahn Now,' tonight at 8 p.m., E.T.

Poll results