The Oh Hell! Primary

One way to chart the changing fortunes of presidential candidates is to note their shifting relations with the press. Back in December, an easy-breezy Howard Dean whiled away hours with his press corps, playing (and routinely losing at) Oh Hell!, a card game he taught them. But by January, as his press contingent swelled to more than 50, his schedule grew tight, and the cards were packed away. Now, with his campaign flagging, Dean is once more cozying up to the media. He's dealing out the cards again and holding so many press conferences that reporters occasionally run out of questions.

Nearly the opposite has taken place on John Kerry's campaign trail, where one-on-one interviews with the candidate are more rationed. Before his victories in Iowa and New Hampshire, Kerry had lots of time to be chummy, tossing footballs in the aisle of his "Real Deal Express" bus and often grabbing a vacant seat next to a reporter for an off-the-record chat. But now that he's the front runner and his press contingent has grown to some 55, the Senator makes fewer off-the-cuff remarks, and he doesn't even ride on the bus anymore. He's up front in a lead car, cocooned by his senior staff.

John Edwards' dealings with the press have been steadier. Outwardly the most charismatic and gregarious in the race, Edwards is closed and guarded with the media. Once a day he strolls through the press section of his plane and chats casually, but the exercise never lasts more than five minutes. More often he sits alone with headphones on, tuning out the press. Part of that may be simple fatigue. Once, during an interview, Edwards simply dozed off.

--By Perry Bacon Jr., Mitch Frank, Eric Roston and Douglas Waller