But the question-and-answer period featured only written queries that had been submitted before his speech - and the affair he has acknowledged with filmmaker Rielle Hunter didn't surface.
After his public statements in August, Edwards said he did not plan to speak about the affair again.
In response to questions from the audience, he praised Hillary Rodham Clinton's leadership and said his favorite superhero is Superman.
Edwards also said the intense and exhausting primary season helped Obama.
"That long, drawn-out, tough process played a role in making him a better candidate," Edwards said. "He was well-prepared for this general election campaign."
Edwards said he wants to continue working for poor people struggling to survive in America and abroad, whether he remains in politics or not.
"That's what I want to spend my life doing," he said.
