The New York state chapter of the National Organization for Women says Sen. Ted Kennedy’s endorsement of Barack Obama for president was the “ultimate betrayal for women.”

Put simply, the NOW chapter is angry that Kennedy didn’t endorse the lone female in the race, Obama opponent Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Is this to say that NOW believes Sen. Clinton is the best candidate for the job simply because she’s a woman? Or that Sen. Obama, if elected, will treat women unfairly because he’s not a woman?

That kind of reasoning seems awfully narrow-minded.

As I wrote a few weeks back, when commenting on the possibility of America electing its first black president, people should judge the candidates on the basis of what’s on the inside, not the outside.

Voting for, or endorsing, a candidate solely because of that person’s race or gender is just as bad as opposing a candidate solely because of race or gender.

NOW, and everyone who plans to step into a voting booth in the upcoming primaries and general election, should keep that in mind.