Gephardt Rising In Media's Opinion

The last time I checked, the Missouri congressman had been relegated to also-ran status. He was old news, unexciting, and didn't even have his own blog. If Howard Dean and Wesley Clark were hot, Gephardt was like lukewarm meat loaf -- comforting, appealing to lunch-bucket types, but decidedly not nouvelle cuisine.

So how come a bunch of journalists are suddenly saying nice things about Dick?

Is it because Gephardt's understated virtues are finally being recognized? Or because journalists are tired of the Dean-is-running-away-with-it story line and are hankering for a real contest?

Anyway, the Dick G mini-surge must be real, because several reporters have said so. And as we know, that's enough to start a trend.

Howard Kurtz also has the Sunday debate coverage.