Pignanelli: Infighting among Democrats is a frequent, brutal and disorganized affair usually described as a "firing squad in a circle." Infrequent contention within Republican ranks is an event of organized cannibalism-bloody but purposeful. Such is the current state of affairs for Utah's GOP in legislative circles. For months, a number of moderate Republicans have been threatening retaliation against lawmakers supportive of school vouchers in the 2007 legislative session. An unparalleled number of incumbent GOP lawmakers face an intraparty skirmish sponsored by public education activists (or as LaVarr castigates them: "liberal" Republican PTA parents). The wrangling between moderate and conservative Republicans has been a longtime dynamic, but one the Utah GOP has kept within control. This is a fascinating and historical development.

Any surprises so far in the filings?

Pignanelli: Many legislative observers believed Sen. Mike Dmitrich would run one more time. Elected to the House in 1968, Dmitrich is beloved on both sides of the aisle. Conversely, respected Sen. Dan Eastman has been talking for months about leaving but apparently has changed his mind. This is good news for Republicans hoping to avoid the internal struggles occurring in other districts.

Webb: Carlton Christensen, a moderate Republican from Salt Lake's Rose Park area, is attempting to jump from the City Council to the State Senate. He has to win a lot of Democratic votes, but Christensen knows the district and the issues well, and is poised to become the first Republican to win a Salt Lake City legislative seat in a long time.

National trends favor the Democrats for the White House and big wins in Congress. Is there similar momentum for Utah Democrats?

Webb: This is a time of great political upheaval, when the tried and true political formulas and tactics have been rendered obsolete at the national level. The souls of the Democratic and Republican parties are up for grabs. In Utah, Democrats will be enthusiastic, but Republicans will still win big on Nov. 4 if they focus on practical issues instead of ideology, if they demonstrate their problem-solving abilities, and if they tell the impressive story of how Republicans have delivered big-time for Utah.

Pignanelli: "Hey Stupid, it's the voter, not the voucher!" Victory in November is guaranteed to the candidates who remember this. A number of politicos are attributing potential Democratic gains to a perceived backlash against vouchers. They are wrong. The Democrats are on a roll across the country and the state because citizens want change. They tire of the screeching banshees from the political extremes. Further, Democrats are posed to do well because Utahns are intrigued by the freshness of Barack Obama and Republicans have little incentive to swarm the polls (Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. is in good shape). Utahns, as with Americans, desire a more personal connection with their leaders. Republicans that utilize the traditional campaign strategy of fatiguing their wrists through writing checks to overpriced consultants (Sorry, LaVarr) risk defeat. To stem the Democratic tide, GOP contenders must run Democratic style campaigns (door-to-door knocking, town hall meetings, etc). Democrats can maintain the momentum by painting themselves as agents of change — or lose it by riding on vouchers.

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