Seeing the Forest from the Tree in Wisconsin.

[ejbrush]

Kloppenberg won. For now. We may still lose this thing, and until it is certified by the elections board, the 200 something margin is thinner than the ice on Lake Mendota right now. The real message to take away from this election can be summarized by these two maps:


Shows the Walker Barret split from November 2010. Five months ago.

http://ericcompas.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/kloppenbergprosser-election-results/
Here is last night.

If you look, you can find a map that breaks down the swing in the counties for the senate race in 2011 here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/election-results-2010/

And here is an interactive map showing the results of last night, in a lovely purple-yellow scheme: http://www.rotundaville.us/2011/04/06/supreme-court-election-results-interactive-map/

Long and short of it, the rural counties outside of the Dane/Milwaukee Liberal nexus and the Washington/Ozaukee/Waukesha ring of doom had one hell of a swing away from the right. Chippewa County - swings from a 55/43 RonJon win to a 51-49 for Klop. Sawyer County: 57/42 RonJon, Prosser wins 50.7 to 49.2 - by 60 votes! Lincoln County swung 54/43 for RonJon, last night it went Republican by 33 votes. This swing, for an unknown candidate in an off season election against an incubant. Think about it.

This is what this election means. The actual race might end up lost, but if you can look at last nights results and say that Walker won, eh, I'm gonna disagree. The little counties in this state always determine the elections, really. The Ring of Doom offsets LiberalLand, Eau Claire and La Crosse balance out Oshkosh and Appleton, Superior and Ashland balance Green Bay and FDL. When a candidate loses the little counties, though, it adds up.

I also suck at posting images. Anyone can do a better job, have at it.

Ed