Florida Dems Having Second Thoughts About An Early Primary

It might be too late.. but Florida Democrats worry that a 1/29 primary might be little more than a glorified post-Iowa beauty contest.

The DNC held a conference call with FL Dems ... pressure was exerted... and one major Edwards supporter left with the sense that campaigns might not participate or spend money in the state if the DNC refuses to award it delegates.

We're not sure the campaigns of Sen. Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton will agree. Winning matters -- not delegates, generally.

But here's ONE catch: the person who receives the most delegates wins the nomination. If enough states buck the DNC and decide to hold early primaries, then the same-size states who've played by the rules will benefit proportionally.

Knowing, for example, that Florida means nothing but California and New York mean real delegates, and potentially enough real delegates to secure the nomination, one can imagine a candidate essentially skipping Florida.

Without delegates, Florida is attractive only as a beauty pageant and a swing for momentum. But this time, the choice between delegates and momentum might not be as easy as it sounds. [MARC AMBINDER]