Webb: The candidates have been speaking, very loudly, for months. On Tuesday, the voters get to rise up en masse and have the final word. It's pretty amazing that after all the incredible hubbub and hoopla, from the race for the world's most powerful office down to the lowliest local contest, it all comes down to individual Americans making their choices in the sanctity of the voting booth.

And, whatever happens, we all ought to keep things in perspective. No matter who wins, the Republic will survive. Life will go on. The sun will come up Wednesday morning.

The tough thing about politics is that for everyone who wins, someone has to lose. After putting one's whole heart and soul, lots of time and personal resources, into a yearlong campaign, losing is a bitter pill. Politics and sports are both brutal activities, requiring a thick skin and mental toughness.

My advice for Tuesday is quite simple: Vote for the best person and, in most cases, that will be a Republican.

I have a lot of friends who are Democrats and I'm not going to renounce my citizenship if some of them win. But I think there's a

good reason Republicans have dominated Utah politics for so long: The party reflects the values, the aspirations and the practical positions of the majority of Utahns.

As a moderately conservative Republican, I sometimes cringe at the antics of some of my really far-right brethren, although I think

I understand them pretty well. But the truth is the Utah Republican Party is a lot more like me than the far right.

That was evident when the supposedly ultra-conservative Republican convention earlier this year selected two moderates, Nolan

Karras and Jon Huntsman Jr., to square off in the GOP primary.

Utah's Republican Legislature takes heavy criticism from those who don't understand how the legislative process works. But it's not an ultra-conservative Legislature. With rare exception, the final product of the Legislature, when all the pushing and pulling is done, pretty well reflects the wishes of the majority in our state.

My point is that Republicans, for the most part, are a safe vote. Political balance is nice, but we Republicans fight enough among

ourselves to ensure that all sides and positions are heard.

So study the candidates and the issues carefully. Don't be a single-issue voter. Consider a candidate's overall grasp of the issues,

capability, personality and intellect. Consider a candidate's fundamental philosophy with regard to government. Then vote accordingly.

• By putting the two Matheson brothers on the ballot, Utah Democrats have turned this into a very high-stakes election. If both of them lose, it would be absolutely devastating for the party. It would be difficult to recover.