In any case, preferential balloting is changing how candidates in big races, with a lot of challengers, campaign, several campaign managers tell me.

"It leads to a kindlier, gentler campaigning," said one manager. "That's because it's important that you are No. 2 on a ballot, because the guy listed as No. 1 could be eliminated before you and you then pick up his vote" in subsequent rounds of balloting, he said.

One example: Former U.S. Rep. Jim Hansen is showing well in several southern Utah counties, some campaign insiders say. Hansen represented the area for years in his 1st Congressional District, stood up to federal government public land bureaucrats, etc.

"In some of those southern counties, my guy is satisfied being second on the ballot to Hansen," says one manager. This guy's camp assumes Hansen will drop out of the counting at some point, and so a second place on that ballot will become a first place vote. (Hansen, of course, believes he won't be eliminated in early rounds of ballot counting but will finish first or second.)

Accordingly, in those strong Hansen counties it would be unwise to bash Hansen — for you could anger strong Hansen delegates who then would place the candidate doing the bashing well down on his or her preferential picks.

"In some cases, you need to be first on the ballot. Because the guy competing with you for first is a guy you may end up in a primary with — he's not going to be dropped out in early rounds of voting. But in some other cases, you're glad to be second, maybe even third, on someone's ballot. You know the one or two guys ahead of you won't make the final round — and you are going to get a first place vote when they drop off."

So, in a preferential voting convention you talk about yourself, how you can thump that Democrat in the final election, and so on. You stay positive.

You save any negative campaigning for the primary.

There it's one-vote takes all. And you can bloody a fellow Republican as much as you think the public can take it.

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Deseret Morning News political editor Bob Bernick Jr. may be reached by e-mail at bbjr@desnews.com