Awake The State to hold new rally in Tampa

That would be former Florida CFO Alex Sink, the Democratic nominee for Governor in 2010 who lost by a percentage point to Scott last year.

Her appearance is certainly noteworthy. While some analysts said she fared well, considering she was outspent and running uphill against a national "tsunami" of Republicans who won national, state and local seats in huge numbers last year, others still can't get over how Sink wasn't able to defeat an extremely flawed candidate whose troubles with Medicaid and Medicare fraud with his former company, Columbia/HCA were well known.

Call it a lack of much of a Democratic party bench, but when people chat about who might challenge Scott in three years time, Sink's name rises to the top, along with former Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio (about to explore the state on a tour promoting her new book) and yes, Charlie Crist.

Who else? We think St. Pete Democrat Rick Kriseman was joking when he asked Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn at a Tiger Bay Event recently if he was considering a run (Buckhorn said "no thanks," saying he currently is in his dream job).

All that is a backdrop to Alex Sink's speech next week. Could it be her unofficial declaration that she's already back in the game? And do Democrats want her to be?