John Kerry has made his choice. Now America must make its choice – Kerry and Edwards, or Bush and Cheney.

Seldom have the choices been more sharply etched. Rarely have feelings run so deep, a sort of premonition that our country’s whole direction for the 21st century will be influenced by the outcome.

In the vision of Kerry and Edwards, it comes down to a rather fundamental set of choices, summed up quite eloquently in the North Carolina senator’s indictment of the current unmistakable drift into two Americas – the one rich and increasingly privileged, the other poor and increasingly powerless.

What do we want for our children’s future, they ask – one America or two?

John Edwards provides excitement, something every campaign needs. He connects with average people because he’s from their ranks and on their side. He sees their problems, feels their hurts, knows their needs, shares their hopes and talks their language.

The Bush-Cheney campaign staff was ready with its swift rejoinder – an already canned television clip from a speech by Sen. John McCain, introducing President Bush at a GOP fund-raiser. The title: “First Choice!”

The commercial’s obvious inference exploits a rumor that Kerry had explored with McCain the possibility of a bipartisan ticket with the moderate Arizona Republican as Kerry’s running mate.

The subliminal message of the ad: “Yaah, yaah, John Edwards, you weren’t really Kerry’s first choice. McCain was.”

If the rumor had any substance, it’d be no disgrace. I almost wish it were true. Bold, new ground. Kerry could well reply:

“Yes, indeed, I talked with my good friend, John McCain, to see if he thought there was any way we could unite this country and lead it out of the disgusting pig pens of partisan bickering by offering this nation a brand-new, truly bipartisan approach. It didn’t work out, but I am certainly not ashamed of having explored that possibility. It’s part of what we’re trying to say: Let’s be one America again – under God, indivisible.’ That’s my dream, and I believe most Americans share it!”

That would be Kerryesque, and not denigrating to Edwards, who in fact could publicly embrace it as emblematic of what the Kerry-Edwards ticket sets as its goal: “Not two Americas, but one!”

There is considerable personal good will among the three Johns – Kerry, Edwards and McCain. They often don’t vote alike, but sometimes they do, and they always share mutual respect. No one attacks the character, sincerity or patriotism of the other two.

McCain, on being told of Kerry’s selection of Edwards as his running mate, explicitly declared that he would offer no personal criticism of his two Senate colleagues and friends. He wrote highly complimentary comments on Edwards’ recent book of memoirs, “Four Trials.”

That’s America. That’s one America.

Critics hasten to brand Edwards, with only six years in the Senate, as too inexperienced in foreign policy to be vice president. Still, that’s six years more than George W. Bush had when designated president.

Opposition barbs seem to bounce off because Edwards exudes good will and inspires trust. Look at his young family, hear his story, and you instinctively feel you know him. You say: “This guy’s authentic. He’s one of us!”

Only one negative thing do I see from Kerry’s selection of Edwards.

I’d been thinking longingly that maybe, just this once, after all these years, I might pass on going to the Democratic National Convention. Someone else, I thought – in deference to my age and station in life – might better enjoy all that wonderful hustling and jostling and crowding and standing in lines and other delights that inure to convention-goers, to say nothing of the pleasures of buying airline tickets and paying exorbitant hotel rates.

I was about ready to step aside unselfishly – sacrificially – and relinquish these ineffable joys to some other, more deserving individual.

Well, so much for that pipe dream! Soon as Kerry picked that charming courtroom heartthrob with the big, ingratiating smile of a country boy and the voice that rings with the compelling innocence and sincerity of a young Billy Graham – I say, as soon as he picked John Edwards, my wife, Betty, immediately said, “We’ve got to go!”

That’s the trouble with women, God love ’em. And may their husbands listen!

Jim Wright is a former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.