I wonder if Edwards will question whether his blathery campaign theme of “two Americas” and syrupy rhetoric about embracing the children of the unemployed was too ridiculous even for Democrats.

One person who will be dismayed is UNC Law School Dean Gene Nichol, who had a pathetic opinion piece in last Sunday’s N&O. Alas, it appears not to be available online. In it, Nichol cheers for Edwards (Easley, too) for “Bringing the poor to the fore” as he entitled his piece. In it, he writes about our “stunningly unequal systems in law, education, politics, and health care” and our collective responsibility for lifting people out of “crushing poverty.” That’s “good old time religion” talk among leftists, but it didn’t seem to entice Democratic primary voters to lift up John Edwards.