Although the gaming industry has long been a major campaign contributor, this year's early Nevada caucuses hauled it into the political theater and flooded it with neon light. Sen. Barack Obama, who won the endorsement of the casino workers' union -- but not necessarily the votes -- was challenged to declare his support for gaming. To demonstrate her commitment to the industry, Senator Clinton assembled a Nevada Business Coalition comprised largely of casino CEOs and stakeholders.

Polling a distant third in his native state, John Edwards has never looked so good. At a young voters forum in Columbia, Edwards addressed a modest gathering of 300 or so in a campaign sweatshirt and a pair of blue jeans, with an ink stain on the pocket. "I'm the underdog in this race," he said. "I don't have all the money, the media, the glitz."