John Linder and Portia West proved how Democrats could win in the city of Chester. Put up good and mature candidates, well-known in the community and work hard to get them elected.

Fred Pickett might be an excellent basketball coach but that doesn't mean he's necessarily well-qualified to help manage a city government.

Linder and West are hardly radical insurgents from the Barbara Bohannon Sheppard school of political symbolism. They are thoughtful, responsible people who it appears will work with the Republicans on council and Mayor Wendell Butler to manage the city - to the extent that Chester is a managable city.

Elsewhere, Republicans manage to win county-wide offices by large margins which, given the big increase in Democratic registration over the last couple election cycles, is a tribute to the GOP machine.