As a presidential candidate, John Edwards spoke of “two Americas.” With his admission Thursday that he fathered his mistress’ child, Americans now have an all-too-clear view of the two . . . John Edwardses.

On the campaign trail back in ’08, Edwards described one nation for the rich and another for the poor. It was a dubious construct: No country in history, after all, has ever extended such enormous opportunity to as many of its people, on as fair and broad a basis, as America.

But there’s little doubt about Edwards’ duality.

One John Edwards claims to be a selfless public servant — the son of a mill worker who twice offered himself up as presidential fodder. In 2004, Democrats actually made him their vice-presidential nominee.

The other John Edwards?

A slick, cynical and intensely selfish pol — a man who brazenly and repeatedly lied to his wife, his supporters and the American people.

Edwards finally came clean on national TV Thursday: He is indeed, he said, the father of filmmaker Rielle Hunter’s child.

Last summer, in an interview supposedly meant to clear the air, he’d ’fessed up to the affair, and to having previously lied to cover it up — but still insisted he wasn’t the father.

Who knows what other sordid secrets he’s still hiding?

Now, it seems, the first Edwards — that is, the supposedly more upstanding citizen — has spread the word that he’s gone to help provide relief in . . . Haiti.

The mind boggles.

Can’t this guy even seek penance without looking to score points?

OK, this time, we’re the ones who lied: There really aren’t two John Edwardses, but just one — a former Democratic presidential pretender whose dishonesty, cynicism, hubris and lack of propriety simply know no bounds.

Edwards cheated on — and humiliated — his ill wife. He lied to his own supporters and embarrassed his party.

Alas, even one John Edwards is one too many.