[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

I feel a bit left out of this whole Obama/Hillary back and forth. Like many Californians, I voted by mail and did so nearly three weeks ago. I voted for John Edwards.
 
Some friends, who knew I already voted, asked me if I wish I could retrieve my ballot. I do not. I have been an Edwards supporter since I first met him in 2002 when I was asked by a DC friend to take Edwards around the CDP convention after his speech and introduce him to folks. Super Bowl weekend in 2004 I campaigned for him in Columbia, South Carolina. And, this cycle, I was again firmly on board. I felt and still feel that he most closely represents my hopes for the future of my country.
 
That does not mean that I am not proud that our party's nominee will be a woman or an African American. I am. And, I think both Obama and Clinton are fine people. But, I believe in what Dr. King said about reaching a point in time where we judge people by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin (or, by extension, gender). I take Dr. King's comments to mean that we should aspire to be a country where we should consider the positions of the candidates rather than their outward characteristics to determine who to support. I would no more vote for a candidate because of that candidate's race, religion, ethnicity or gender than I would vote against a candidate for those reasons.