We'd like to think of this as a sign that Americans are becoming more politically active, but that falls apart when you realize politicians are the ones behind the presidential "primary creep" that seems to be gripping the nation.

First, about 20 states began piling-on to the date of Feb. 5, making what looked to be a decisive, nearly nationwide super-duper primary election day. Then last week the Florida Legislature decided to move that state's primary from March to Jan. 29. Not to be outdone, traditional early birds New Hampshire and Iowa, as well as upstart Nevada, are now talking about getting the jump on Florida.

Some people are talking of holding primaries in 2007. "It could be as early as Halloween," a South Carolina official told the New York Times.

Talk about scary.

And to think, Utah's leaders, dating back to the days of former Gov. Mike Leavitt, were hoping to carve out a little primary date of their own in February just to attract some sort of national attention to the issues that matter most in the Mountain time zone. Utah had even persuaded a few other Western states to join in what was to be our own little party on Feb. 5.

Now, whatever attention folks here had imagined has been washed away by the tsunami of primary one-upmanship. Feb. 5, the date Utah and its neighbors had chosen, now has been overtaken by California, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, among many others. The only hope anyone here has of seeing a candidate is if he or she has to make a connection at Salt Lake International Airport.

What does all of this mean?

First, it means the nation's parties need to begin rethinking the traditional conventions they hold every four years. The old delegate process is becoming meaningless. Both the Republican and Democratic parties have threatened to punish Florida by stripping it of delegates if it holds a Jan. 29 primary, but few people there seem to care. The state would attract attention. No candidate would want to disrespect the donors and influential leaders in a state so large. And, regardless, the nominating process is likely to be over by the time the convention rolls around, anyway.

Second, it means regular citizen voters are likely to become even more disenchanted with politics, having to endure rough-and-tumble intraparty conflicts almost a year before the election, followed by months and months of campaigning by the two party nominees. Given how nasty and expensive these get, they aren't likely to energize too many voters.

Third, it means Utah will be ignored again — unless it wants to hold a primary this summer.