WHEN EVEN YOUR SUPPORTERS DON'T REMEMBER YOUR NAME...

I got a bit of a laugh from a piece of Jeremy Wallace's political column in Monday's Sarasota Herald Tribune, which notes that Democrat gubernatorial candidate Rod Smith of Alachua is trying to keep some semblance of humour while working to increase his name recognition across the state.

Wallace writes that during a campaign stop last week in Sarasota County, the state senator warmed up the crowd by telling them about what he's been called here and there.

In Lake County, after reading his résumé, an emcee introduced him as "Rod Stewart." In Holmes County, the person introducing him froze and declared: "I can't remember your name."

"I know I struggle for name recognition," Smith told a crowd of more than 100 Democrats.

If you're having name recognition problems, now's the time to have it instead of later. With just over eight months before the party primary, more than half of Democrats are still undecided on the race between Smith and Tampa congressman Jim Davis.