There seems to be

role reversal between Democrats and Republicans, writes columnist Scott Maxwell.

For the past two decades, writing about politics in Florida has often felt like filling in a Mad Libs game — telling the same story over and over with just slightly different details.

Republicans posted another win in the race for _____ yesterday after Democrats screwed up big-time when they _____.

Republicans couldn’t lose. And Democrats couldn’t tie their own shoelaces. That seems to be changing. Democrats notched another win in a competitive race this week, winning a state House seat in South Florida, despite being outspent by Republicans.

Politico noted it was “Strike … Four” for Republicans who have repeatedly come up short since 2016.

Plus, Republicans made a move so boneheaded this week, it may taint their 2018 campaigns if they don’t change course.

The dunderheaded decision? Inviting a convicted felon who mocked the Parkland shooting survivors to be a featured speaker at their upcoming “Sunshine Summit” in Orlando.

Filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza drew bipartisan backlash a few weeks ago when he taunted the Parkland teens who were disappointed that Florida legislators didn’t ban high-capacity weapons — like the one used to slaughter their classmates.

D’Souza tweeted: “Worst news since their parents told them to get summer jobs.”

Worse than the mass murder they witnessed?

The backlash was intense — with much of it coming from conservatives who didn’t want to be tainted by D’Souza’s heartless stink.

Yet now, the Republican Party of Florida has decided to roll around in that stench. Obviously this is a bad idea. Even Gov. Rick Scott blasted his own party’s decision, saying D’Souza shouldn’t speak and that his comments were “disgusting.”

But party leader Blaise Ingoglia has refused to budge so far.

The decision to invite D’Souza — who was convicted on felony campaign-finance fraud charges four years ago — looks even more ridiculous when you consider that Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi are fighting to keep a system that denies many convicted felons from ever having the right to vote.

So the party’s position is: We don’t trust former felons to cast ballots … but we do trust them to come tell our party leaders how to think and act … especially if they first mocked victims of a slaughter in our own backyard.

You can see why Republicans whose names will actually appear on ballots this fall desperately want that storyline to disappear.

Only in Florida

Speaking of that special election I mentioned above, here’s a not-so-fun fact: The last two —

yes, two — occupants of that South Florida seat pleaded guilty to crimes … making it the most oh-so-Florida district ever.

The seat was vacated by Democrat Daisy Baez, who pleaded guilty to perjury in connection to accusations that she lied about where she was living.

And the guy who held the seat before Baez, Republican Erik Fresen, was sentenced to jail time on tax-evasion charges just last year. So that’s one seat and two guilty pleas. At least it was bipartisan.

A sweet fight

Two weeks ago, I penned a column about the sickeningly sweet deal that Big Sugar gets from the federal government — where taxpayers underwrite subsidies to an industry has helped pollute our state.

I argued it was “time to end sugar subsidies and political payoffs” — and noted that more than 70 members of Congress from 23 different states agreed.

Not a single one of them, though, was from Florida.

Well, in big breaking news, that looks like it’s changing.

The Treasure Coast Newspapers reported this week that the number of supporters has risen to about 90 — and that freshman Rep. Brian Mast, R-Palm City, expects to be “the only representative in the history of this district to vote against the sugar industry.”

He would also be the first in the state to publicly support the “Sugar Policy Modernization Act,” which calls for “the elimination of all direct and indirect subsidies benefiting the production or export of sugar by any government.”

Now, if you’re wondering why more member$ of Congre$$ aren’t $iding with Ma$t and $tanding up to Big $ugar, I placed $ome $ubtle hint$ in thi$ $entence.

Sugar throws around way more campaign cash than most agriculture industries — to both sides of the aisle — Marco Rubio, Bill Nelson, Rick Scott, you name it.

Mast says taxpayers deserve better. So does the environment. He’s right. And if you want to tell your member of Congress the same, check out www. contactingcongress.org.