Post-mortems, finger-pointing divide GOP after Waukesha loss

Democrat Larry Nelson's election as mayor of Waukesha continues to have the right wing all shook up.

It's fun to sit back and watch the analysis about what went wrong and inevitable finger-pointing at who's to blame.

You have to wonder where all this sage analysis and advice was before the election.

James Widgerson did suggest in a pre-election column that "what should normally have been a blowout for Republicans may in fact be the biggest shocker of 2006." No one else on the right seems to have had a clue.

Dean Mundy had a simple explanation: Nelson ran a better campaign. Laurel Walker of the Journal Sentinel's Waukesha bureau thinks so, too.

Widgerson says a campaign consultant for the loser should quit blaming others and take the fall. The consultant, Brian Nemoir, takes a whack from Ragnar Mentaire, too.

Grumps is amused by the Jessica McBride spin, and Timothy Rock wonders whether Paul Bucher will only count places that vote his way. McBride herself has become an after-the fact media consultant, suggesting some bad ideas for radio spots.

One of my favorite analyses is the suggestion that conservatives got confused because the Journal Sentinel endorsed Ann Nischke, the GOP state rep who was expected to win. Maybe they all voted against her because the paper backed her, the theory goes.

If that's the case, the newspaper should consider that strategy for the fall and endorse Republicans for every office. Milwaukee Democrats and lefties pay no attention to the JS, and if an endorsement really can generate a right-wing backlash, let's go for it.

(Their analysis, which suggests the JS is liberal, falls apart when you consider that the paper is Scott Walker's biggest cheerleader. But never let reality get in the way of spin.)