Wisconsin Recall Elections

Wow! What a nailbiter this evening has been.

Looks like Democrats will be looking at one last race in order to claim a simple majority in the Wisconsin State Senate.

Many observers are looking to these recall elections as a predictor of the national races in 2012.  However, it is difficult to say how applicable the Wisconsin results will be, due to the enormous financial difference between these recall campaigns and the 2010 election season.

According to campaign finance watchdog groups in Wisconsin, the total spending on the recall elections has been approximately 10 times as much as the 2010 campaign spending across all races in the state.  It is obvious that people, including big donors, are focusing on these recalls, but whether such a huge financial focus will actually skew the results is anyone's guess.

In the short-term, we'll be talking about the individual races, their respective spending, the actions of the recalled candidates and why they got booted out.  In the medium-term, the focus will shift to an expected recall challenge to Gov. Scott Walker.  In the long-term, if Walker, too, is booted out, that will send a strong message to the national campaigns next year.