Dodging of Limits The drafters of the original regulations did not realize that the delegate-rich states were not always the most important politically.

Organization's the Thing Although the candidates are spending less time here than in other, more delegate-rich states, their aides are aggressively lining up backers.

Florida is taking on newfound importance because it is the most delegate-rich state in which no candidate has an obvious edge.

The glut of primaries, closely following the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary in January, will potentially include some of the largest media markets and most delegate-rich states.

Indeed, even in delegate-rich states like California, where much of the advertising money is being spent, the widespread expectation is that the influence of commercials is going to be more marginal than in prior years.

The move would amount to unconditional surrender by the country's most delegate-rich state in the contest to influence the presidential nomination process.

At a news conference in Boston this evening, he staked his campaign on winning the delegate-rich state of Florida which, along with Texas, holds its primary on March 12.

While the 2008 presidential campaign is well under way in traditional bellwether states, candidates are also making an early and furious run at voters in this delegate-rich but, in past primary seasons, generally irrelevant state.

Huckabee exited the race as McCain became the presumptive Republican nominee after winning the delegate-rich winner-take-all states of Florida, California, and New York.

Every candidate needs a first-place finish - and soon - before the competition moves in less than two weeks to delegate-rich states like New York, Florida and Texas, and then to the industrial Midwest.