Respectful and rousing was the banter of Frank Pignanelli and LaVarr Webb, their presentation in October's meeting much like their conjoint column in Deseret News. They articulated how politics in Utah could swing from the current flaming red to cool blue if--if certain conditions prevail or had prevailed.

What is the state of partisan electoral politics in Utah was a question that Webb and Pignanelli tackled. Said Webb, "Probably the best measure was the gubernatorial race last year between Jon Huntsman and Scott Matheson. It was a classic match-up of two highly attractive candidates, each articulate, well-qualified, with strong name identification. Each had sufficient funding to get their messages out. Both campaigns were well-run without major mistakes to skew the results."

Although some analysts said Matheson should have drawn a stronger contrast to Huntsman to give voters a reason to vote for him, Webb believes that the outcome was indicative of how Utah politics will be as the 2008 elections close in.

In the 2004 race, continued Webb, Huntsman beat Matheson 57.7% to 41.3%, probably a fairly reliable estimate of what a good Republican could win against a good Democrat in a statewide race, all other factors being equal.

Especially discouraging for the Democrats are the quite "red" Utah and Davis counties, the state's next two largest counties after Salt Lake. In Utah County, Huntsman overwhelmed Matheson 71% to 26%. Not surprising, Salt Lake County is the swing county, obviously Utah's most important county politically although "wild and unpredictable."

Webb's bottom line is he believes that a "really good Democratic candidate could beat a mediocre Republican candidate statewide in Utah. But if the Republicans nominate solid candidates who run good races with sufficient funding, it will be awfully difficult for a Democrat to win a statewide election for some time to come."

Somewhat surprising, Frank Pignanelli started out as a Catholic Republican, but converted as a young boy to the Democratic Party during the civil rights movement.

More surprising was Pignanelli's belief that Democrats are their worst enemies, citing how several specific and critical issues were not addressed in a way conducive to building support for the Democratic party in Utah. They have done a poor job of marketing their otherwise important values and principles, he said. Mistakes were made, particularly about the Equal Rights Amendment and abortion.

Pignanelli noted that the "dark ages" for Democrats began in the mid-1970s with Ronald Reagan helping Hatch win, and continuing in the 1980s with the Ronald Reagan presidency. Again, Democrats were unable to craft a message that resonated with Utah voters.

But few people realize that Democrats made a huge rebound in the late 1980s, doubling the numbers in the legislature, including elected officials from Utah and Davis County, thus recapturing two congressional seats. Partly responsible for this surge was the popular elected Democratic mayor Palmer DePaulis. "Utahans loved Mayor DePaulis, and were willing to cross over and vote for a Democrat," Pignanelli said.

In addition, with the help of party chairman Randy Horiuchi and others, Democrat candidates started fashioning a message that worked.

Unfortunately, the abortion war erupted in the early 1990s. Utah Democrats did not "think through" this issue, Pignanelli said. Had clarity happened, Democrats could have won more support by stating, for example, that their belief about abortion was very close to the LDS Church's belief. After all, Pignanelli inserted, the Catholic Church and evangelical groups are much more conservative about abortion than the LDS Church.

Added Pignanelli, another major issue for Democrats is that the party is viewed as a refuge for non-Mormons or former Mormons who have grudges with the LDS church. But the bottom line purpose of the Democratic Party is to elect Democrats. "If you have problems with the LDS church, take it up with the church. That's not the role for Democrats."

Pignanelli noted that a number of Mormon Democrats feel isolated because they're not welcome in the LDS Church and they're not welcomed at their political party. However, the church reached out to Democrats in the late 1990s, but the anti-Mormon Democrats "slapped their hand." If Democrats wish to regain their strength in Utah, this attitude needs to change.

Yet Pignanelli is optimistic and hopeful about the Democrats' ability to bridge the divide citing, for example, that Jim Matheson works hard and has a first-class constituency. Furthermore, Pignanelli noted that Utahans care about neighborhood and community issues, stating that it is Republicans who challenge big-box retailers like Wal-Mart and demanded environmental impact studies. "If Democrats can overcome the ridiculous religious issues that separate them from Utahans, they have a bright future," Pignanelli said. He believes that Utahans will respond to Democrats of any religion who talk about values that people care about, values that "tug at the heart."

--Sarah Smith