DURHAM, N.H. – First question to Edwards is about a Euro-centric school curriculum. Somehow, at the University of New Hampshire, the lack enough gay and lesbian materials, courses, focus and scholars.

Edwards praises the question. He says he wants his children exposed to diversity.

He acknowledges a bit of reality – ”The President of the United States does not run the public school systems, and he does not run the nation’s colleges and universities.” — before urging federal rewards for academic scholarship diversity.

Second question is the ever-present, “what are you going to do to make college affordable.” Edwards wants free tuition for any student willing to work 10 hours a week, part of a “College For Everyone” program.

Initial response was that most folks thought he answered the question well — 49 percent said good ideas, 20something said “understands reality.” Moderator Chris Cillizza asks about how to pay for it. Edwards talks about eliminating banking intermediaries, which “pays for most of it,” and increasing the collection of capital gains taxes.

UNH student Emily complains that the sports teams get free equipment and lots of scholarships, and music and arts programs get less. Edwards says it’s important, that arts are the lasting impression that civilizations leave behind. Kind of a heady, deep thought; I wonder how it will play. He said sports generate some of the revenue that they need; arts largely do not.

Asked again about paying for his College For Everyone plan by an InstantMessage from a MySpace User, Edwards says he will repeal the tax cuts on “the rich.” He also begins to explain the lower tax rate on investment income, and how he wants capital gains taxed higher, “from 15 percent to 26, 27 percent.” While I’m not a fan of Edwards’ raise-taxes-mantra, he actually gets somewhat professorial as he’s laying out the tax code for the young audience.

Asked about youth violence, he says that “soon the entire young African-American population will be in jail or dead.” Then he moves into the “Two Americas” riff, focusing on education in the inner cities.