Many Utah leaders should give thanks

John McCain must be grateful that Huntsman is still paying attention to him. I am especially appreciative of President Bush. His remarkable performance has effectively prohibited my Republican friends from making any nasty comments about Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, LBJ, JFK, FDR etc. etc. etc.

Webb: All Utah political junkies ought to be grateful for a fascinating political year ahead in 2008. In the presidential race, we'll find out if the American people are ready for a woman president, a black president, a Mormon president or more of the same.

We'll find out how unfriendly the national political climate is toward Republicans, and whether that sentiment will spill into Utah, given the massive defeat of vouchers.

Utah Republicans must be thankful for a booming economy, the best in Utah's history. Want a job? No problem. Utah is importing workers, not exporting them. The economy should set up Utah Republicans nicely for some big wins in 2008, but they need to figure out how to get credit for the good times. Their policies have paid off, but I'm not sure voters associate Republican leadership with Utah's unprecedented economic prosperity.

Gov. Huntsman has to be grateful that he's positioned himself nicely for re-election in 2008 — a moderate Republican who takes pragmatic positions on issues and isn't driven by right-wing ideology. Democrats will have a very difficult time finding a serious candidate to oppose him.

Ditto for Democrat Jim Matheson. Liberal Democrats grumble, but the 2nd District congressman is poised for re-election because he takes a centrist course while paying attention to constituents and seeking practical solutions. Republicans are scrambling to find a candidate who has a chance against him. It would take a superstar with plenty of personal money.

Utah Democrats must be appreciative of Salt Lake City, Utah's increasingly liberal enclave of left-wing politics, and perhaps for Salt Lake County. This election will tell the tale of political supremacy in Salt Lake County, whether the pendulum is truly swinging in favor of the Democrats after years of GOP rule. Watch for some ferocious battles in the county.

Top legislative leaders John Valentine, Greg Curtis, Curt Bramble and Dave Clark should be grateful because they have the opportunity in the upcoming legislative session to set the tone for the coming political year. If they lead lawmakers as practical problem-solvers in tackling the tough issues facing Utah, they will see political success. If they allow the session to deteriorate into partisanship and ideological warfare, they risk election losses later in the year.

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Republican LaVarr Webb was policy deputy to Gov. Mike Leavitt and Deseret News managing editor. He now is a political consultant and lobbyist. E-mail: lwebb@exoro.com. Democrat Frank Pignanelli is Salt Lake attorney, lobbyist and political adviser. A former candidate for Salt Lake mayor, he served 10 years in the Utah House of Representatives, six years as House minority leader. Pignanelli's spouse, D'Arcy Dixon Pignanelli, is a Utah state tax commissioner. E-mail: frankp@xmission.com.