As I’ve noted before, John Edwards was my horse in the race which surprised even me, since while I found him likeable in 2004, I wasn’t a fan. It was how he changed in talking about America and what we need that sold me early on him.

But, while there are a good many of us former Edwards’ followers, I’m not at all sure what his endorsement of Obama will ultimately mean, if anything. For one thing, he’s been out of the arena (except for brief forays) for a few months, and time may have dissipated some of his base and the general population’s interest in him. For another, he along with Al Gore and a few others, have been providing behind-the-scenes information sharing and policy discussion for about as long as this race has been down to just Clinton and Obama.

I suspect, ultimately, that Edwards may not do huge things for Obama - or cost Hillary much either - but I’d love to see Obama’s platform include more of what Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, offered. Yes, including taking all health care benefits away from Capitol Hill until they offer a real solution to all Americans getting basic health care.