Various news from those with widely read opinions on the Edwards pick:

Ferrel Guillory, from right here at home, argues the Kerry/Edwards ticket has a fihgting chance in North Carolina.

The Times thinks it showed confidence of Kerry to choose the popularly regarded as more charismatic Edwards to share Kerry's spotlight.

William Safire, in line with the GOP talking points that flooded CNN yesterday, thinks it was a gutless move (and merely political pragmatism) to add good looks to the ticket. (This, by the way, was Safire's dumbest and most insulting opinion we've read in some time:

Kerry, in the most important political choice of his life, chose Edwards. Though youthful in appearance, he is 51, a fresh face but no spring chicken. He is demonstrably adept in persuading juries. Though with only five years in public office, he is a quick study and has learned to half-answer and slip around hard questions as well as many lifelong pols.

He is also the happy class warrior, the smoothest divisive force in politics today. Throughout the primaries, the potent Edwards message was "two Americas," haves vs. have-nots, richies vs. the rest. In yesterday's coordinated statements, "class" was the theme: both the patrician Kerry and the multimillionaire Edwards took pains to identify themselves with the "struggling" middle class. Kerry embraced this populist pitch as "the center of this campaign."

I suppose that Safire thinks, with Edwards' near six years of Senate experience and Edwards' unquestioned intelligence and know-how, that Edwards is a dupe with no ability to assert genuine policy initiatives. I also reckon Safire has no recollection of Edwards' upbringing. I lastly reckon Safire can be a dope. Interesting how quickly he casts Edwards as a rich, slippery politician without the politician's experience.

update: TNR responds to Safire here.

Bob Herbert thinks Edwards might out-good-ole-boy Bush, as well as adding some religion:

The most interesting tug of war will be over God. A Gallup poll last month found that 61 percent of Americans said that "religion can answer all or most of today's problems," and millions of white churchgoing Protestants have fled the Democratic Party. On his own, Mr. Kerry, a Catholic, didn't have a prayer with those voters. With Mr. Edwards, a Methodist, tethering him to Middle America and beaming in a front pew each Sunday, the ticket is far stronger.

A nice discussion amongst New Republic contributors here.