Code for Race and Knowledge

Is it my imagination or is do we use "experience" as code for knowledge the same way we use "terrorist" or "Musilim" as code for black? As in "Palin doesn't have the experience to be VP," instead of "Palin doesn't know enough to be VP"... She has been a Governor, she has appropriate experience. She just doesn't demonstrate knowledge of the issues, or basic, thoughtful curiosity about the world... But to say that in the media or in a campaign would be too much in the same way that one doesn't say "Obama can't be President because he is black." So we lie and say he is a terrorist or a Muslim and she is inexperienced.