Senator Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee, made a historic visit to Grand Rapids on Wednesday. The rally was billed as the Senator’s first official visit to West Michigan. Obama originally pledged not to campaign in Michigan because of the now infamous decision to move up the Michigan Democratic Primary.

The rally was most significant, however, in that it marked the moment at which former Senator John Edwards, a one-time hopeful for the Democratic nomination, publicly endorsed Obama’s bid for the White House.

“The reason I am here tonight is that Democratic voters in America have made their choice and so have I,” Edwards said to the ferocious cheers of a full house of roughly 12,000 Obama supporters.

Edwards painted an oratorical portrait of Washington as a city with a wall around it. This wall, Edwards said, keeps ordinary Americans away from the power enjoyed by special interests.

“There is one man who knows in his heart that it is time to tear down that wall and make one America: Barack Obama.”

Edwards continued to emphasize his now familiar populist theme of two Americas, one for the wealthy and one for “everyone else.” A striking moment came when Edwards symbolically passed the torch of “Two Americas” to Obama.

Edwards said of Mr. Obama’s working class credentials, “There is one man who knows in his heart there is time to create one America, not two … and that man is Barack Obama.”

The endorsement of Edwards, who enjoyed the support of working class voters in droves, could not have come at a better time for Obama, who has struggled against the perception that he is out of touch with blue collar America. Tuesday’s West Virginia primary dealt Obama one of the worst electoral defeats of his career, with Democratic voters preferring opponent Senator Hillary Clinton by a 2-to-1 margin.

Edwards earned seven percent of the vote in West Virginia, despite having ended his bid for the White House several months ago. His support amongst blue-collar voters could prove invaluable to Obama in an expected match-up against Senator John McCain in November.

Terry McAuliffe, chair of the Clinton campaign, sought to downplay the Edwards endorsement and the growing chorus calling for a Clinton exit. He told reporters after the Edwards endorsement, “We have six million eligible Democrats left to vote. They’re going to determine who the nominee of the Democratic Party is. And it’s not someone on television telling them what to do.”

Obama’s comments were positive and echoed those of Edwards. Speaking of the country he hopes to build as president, Obama said the country should strive to create “One America where we rise and fall as one people.”

The presumptive nominee also spoke of returning economic opportunities to American workers.

“If you want work, you can find work. If you do work, you will never want.”

Obama went on to talk of creating five million new jobs in green industries and two million jobs to repair the infrastructure of America. He also spoke of helping military families, ending the Iraq war, and offering a $4,000 tuition credit to college students in America.

Turning his sights on his likely challenger, Obama offered a grim assessment – and a subtle stab at the sensitive issue of the candidate’s age:

“John McCain is offering eight more years of the same…That is the politics of the past; we are offering the politics of the future.”

Obama’s remarks ended the same way they began – with characteristic hope and thunderous applause. The crowd erupted as the senator returned to his central theme and emphasized the popularity his campaign has enjoyed.

“Hope is stirring all across America.”