Ready for what? Having a black president, or assassinating him?
John Hinckley actually stalked Jimmy Carter at a couple of campaign appearances in late 1980 before the President left office, then turned his attention to Reagan before shooting him in March 1981. I recall that the Secret Service spotted Hinckley in campaign footage of crowds when they went back and looked.
I think President Obama would, unfortunately, be at greater risk of assassination. There are all too many racist crazies out there who will be personally offended at the thought of a black man in the White House and who will probably try to kill him. I support Obama and it pains me to say it, but I’d be surprised if it doesn’t happen. No matter how careful the Secret Service is, this country is awash in guns and the President just has to be out among the people sometimes.
When Colin Powell was considering a run in 1996, Time magazine said one of the reasons he decided against it was his wife Alma’s virtual certainty that if he did, he’d be killed.