So I can't see any move toward FEDCoin not helping Bitcoin, or at least advancing the cause of cryptoledgers.
Agreed.
This inevitably leads to competition between the two monetary system. It all boils down to people now having a legit alternative that is uniquely accessible, hard to confiscate and absent, at least to some degree, from the corruption of banks and the state. Something gold has ultimately failed to offer.
If you believe Bitcoin's monetary features to be sound then it should win based on economic merits alone.