Oh Hell Over Wisconsin

MSNBC - Dean's Getting Hosed

We’re two thirds of the way through Oh Hell, the signature card game of the Dean campaign, and—there’s just no nice way to say it—Howard Dean is a loser. Or, as he tends to put it, he’s “getting hosed.” And this time, there’s no heartening delegate count to cushion the loss.

After the dust had settled—after the losses in Iowa and New Hampshire, after campaign manager Joe Trippi left the scene, after the desperate Internet bid to refill campaign coffers, Howard Dean seemed to relax, resuming an earlier tradition of cut-throat in-flight games of Oh Hell (a sort of twisted cross between hearts and bridge.) “The best part of this game is, someone always gets screwed,” says Dean. Tonight, that person is Howard Dean.

“Watch out for that one,” says Dean, gesturing in my direction as a round ends and he hands the deck off for shuffling. “She’s getting good.” “I’ve learned not to take your advice,” I respond. He laughs. The game continues. The scores edge higher. Howard Dean keeps losing. But he won’t quit the game, even with the cards stacked against him.

el - God, I haven't played Oh Hell in a long time. I played Oh Hell about every day in Michigan at college.