That's not the case in a state like California. Between lingering partisan bitterness over the Gray Davis recall, battles over ballot initiatives aimed at addressing California's budget crisis, and the uproar over gay marriages in San Francisco -- a subject Edwards has tried mightily to avoid in recent days -- the political environment in California is a crowded one right now. And Schwarzenegger's larger-than-life swagger has made it difficult for other politicians to grab the public's attention.

As Edwards started to campaign in California last week, Mulholland predicted great things from the senator from North Carolina -- eventually. "He's a youthful guy," Mulholland said. "He just has to do events here, and he'll pick up support wherever he goes."

The problem is, it's difficult for any candidate to be in 10 states at once, and Edwards didn't have the money for a barrage of broadcast ads. The senator from North Carolina remains a stranger to many Californians, as he surely does to Democrats in many other large states. Neither Edwards nor Kerry has purchased TV time in the state, and Edwards spent just two days here last week -- one trekking up the Central Valley, the next flying back to Los Angeles for a debate there. And along the way, he did little to distinguish himself from Kerry.

Edwards' late-night campaign stop in Sacramento was like almost any other appearance in his campaign. He took the stage to John Cougar Mellencamp's "Small Town," just as he always does; he threw his arms into the air to give a double thumbs-up, just as he always does; then he launched into his familiar "Two Americas" stump speech, just as he always does. The changes for the California crowd were minor: He spent a couple of sentences on the environment, and he mentioned Latinos.

What Edwards didn't mention was the competition. In his standard 20-minute stump speech, he never refers to John Kerry, not even implicitly. Thus, the voters who see him -- and on this night in a state of 35 million people, there were maybe 300 of them -- might leave liking John Edwards, but they don't walk away with much of a way to compare him, favorably or not, with John Kerry.

Kerry hasn't compared himself to Edwards at campaign stops, either, but that's not a front-runner's burden. At a rally in a Teamsters' hall in Oakland on Friday night, Kerry surrounded himself with a burly crowd of firefighters, iron workers and other union labor types who put the lie -- visually, at least -- to any charge of Democratic wimpiness. With hundreds of supporters inside the hall and another thousand gathered outside, Kerry pounded away at George W. Bush without any mention of his major remaining Democratic challenger.

Like Edwards, though, Kerry did mention one other challenger, albeit a former one: Howard Dean. Both Edwards and Kerry began their Northern California appearances with effusive praise for the former Vermont governor and the energy he brought to the Democratic race. For both candidates, it was plainly an effort to win over those who had backed Dean.

It's not clear whether the efforts worked, but it's also not clear whether it matters. Although Dean supporters initially talked of bolting from the Democratic Party in the wake of their candidate's "suspension" of campaigning, there's little sign of a revolt in California yet. And whichever way Dean voters go Tuesday in California, there probably aren't enough of them left to make up the difference between Edwards and Kerry.

While some California Dean supporters say they'll vote for their man Tuesday -- either as a sign of personal support or out of hope of securing a delegate or two for the Democratic National Convention -- they also seem clear in their plans to come together behind Kerry in November. "I certainly hope that's going to happen, and I expect it to happen," said Rick Jacobs, who chaired Dean's California campaign. "Gov. Dean has been adamant" about coming together to beat Bush, Jacobs said. "That's why we got into this in the first place."

Supporters who turned out to see Edwards and Kerry in Northern California last week voiced similar views. Time and again, they said that -- whoever they supported initially and however they might have felt about the candidates' issues on gay marriage or trade or the war on Iraq -- the only thing that matters ultimately is beating Bush in November.

Hollywood producer Rob Reiner, who campaigned hard for Dean around the country, made campaign contributions to both Kerry and Edwards last week, according to his political advisor, Chad Griffin. Griffin said Reiner will support whichever candidate wins the Democratic nomination.

And like a lot of former Dean supporters, Griffin -- whose opinion counts for much when it comes to Hollywood support in politics -- dismissed out of hand the suggestion that Dean backers unhappy with the Democratic Party might jump ship to the Nader campaign. "I don't know a single person who supports Ralph Nader," Griffin said. "I think many donors here who used to have respect for Ralph Nader hold him at least partially responsible for George Bush being president. I dont think there's a single person in Hollywood who would support Nader now."

Things aren't that bad for John Edwards, of course. While Edwards almost certainly won't win in California, he has built up goodwill for a future run at the White House or a vice presidential candidacy this year. And Edwards may do just well enough somewhere Tuesday -- most likely in Georgia, where he is scheduled to "celebrate" with supporters after the polls close -- that he can say once again that he has beat expectations and has the momentum to fight on. "Edwards has been able to claim some sort of moral victory in all of the primaries and caucuses," says Loyola Marymount's Streb. "He has consistently exceeded expectations, but at some point you've just got to win."

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