Cannon didn't bother to raise much money. That's akin to putting a political "kick me" on his back. It made others believe he is vulnerable, so they jumped into the race.

Next, he has not handled well the attacks on him for his bills seeking to create a "guest worker" program for illegal aliens that would allow them to earn permanent residency and citizenship. Attacks that it amounts to "amnesty" for aliens stuck enough to force him into a runoff. Now he must race hard, or watch the tortoise win.

4. How do Democratic gubernatorial candidate Scott Matheson Jr. and his brother, Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, have serious shots at winning in Republican Utah?

Utahns traditionally have a big independent streak. A huge number — often about a third — will identify themselves in polls as independents. Even Republicans tend to vote for some Democrat somewhere on the ballot just to prove their independence.

Former Gov. Scott Matheson Sr. knew that. Utahns elected him in 1976 and 1980 — the same years they voted overwhelmingly for Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan. I sometimes talk to old Utah neighbors who wish aloud for the return of the kind of relatively conservative Democrats like Scott Matheson. How about two of his sons?

The Republicans are also giving the Matheson brothers a big head start financially. The GOP's candidates for governor and the 2nd District must use their money in primaries. The Mathesons are unopposed and can bank the money they raise for later. That gives them a serious shot at winning those races.

Now that we understand Utah politics, let's try something simple in the next column, like nuclear physics.

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Deseret Morning News Washington correspondent Lee Davidson can be reached by e-mail at lee@desnews.com