A little bit of New Hampshire came to Nevada this afternoon as John Edwards campaigned among the brunch crowd at Harrie’s Bagelmania near UNLV.

The 25-minute appearance was as close to retail politics as Democratic presidential candidates have come in the Silver State this election cycle. (As for the Republicans, who can forget Rudy Giuliani’s swing through Target earlier this year, and his chat with customers at Crazy Pita in Henderson last week?)

Edwards pulled up in a black van around 12:30 pm, wearing blue jeans, button-up shirt (open collar, of course) and blazer. He made his way through the media throng and started working the restaurant, just as customers, many of whom were Edwards supporters, were finishing up plates of eggs, bagels and hash browns.

Just inside the door, he stopped to speak with Betsy Wells and Judy Gilbert, retired North Carolina educators and campaign volunteers who followed Edwards to Las Vegas to make phone calls and hit the pavement for the weekend. They trade kisses with the former North Carolina Senator and snap photos. Edwards moves on — and the cameras follow.

“Can we buy you lunch,” a woman shouts. “Good luck, sir,” a cashier says.

Edwards works the room and ends up at the counter, where he orders a plain bagel, toasted, with cream cheese. (Translation: I’m just an ordinary guy.) He chats with owner Nancy Horn.

“I bet you love it here,” he tells Horn. “It seems like a nice community.” He discusses his schedule, pays for his bagel and is on his way.

The media gaggle is waiting out front and Edwards heads directly for it. The debate, he says, will be about clear choices between status quo and change. Washington is broken. He talks about the “Las Vegas Dream” — the language used by the Culinary Union to describe the benefits enjoyed by its members.

A local station asks him about his relatively lowstanding in Nevada polls, compared to the statistical dead heat among the top three candidates in Iowa: “States that have done this a lot, like Iowa, are evaluating us on a very personal way, on our merits. Other states, like Nevada, are more a reflection of national polls and where voters are nationally. But we know whoever wins Iowa and New Hampshire will come roaring into Nevada with huge momentum.”