Check out this column from St. Pete Times political editor Adam C. Smith, and tell me if you buy it. Its subject is the alleged advantage Republicans are going to get, now and apparently forever, due to the Democratic presidential candidate boycott of next year's Florida primary. (Republicans are merely going to strip Florida of half its delegates).

Sure sounds dubious to me. We are supposed to believe that Floridians have instantly acquired the self-referential obsession with their role in the nominating process that voters in Iowa and New Hampshire have developed over many moons. Given Florida's size and perpetual general-election relevance, it's hard to believe its citizens think a well-attended primary is important to either the state's economy or its political standing. But when I was in the state recently, it's true you heard a lot about this from Democrats as well as Republicans.

In any event, I'm glad I read Smith's piece, if only to marvel at this quote from state GOP chair Jim Greer: "Our party, because of what the Democrats have done, has an opportunity that it has never had before to step forward and say every vote will count..."

Yeah, that would be a first.