Did you ever notice how the Rule of Men crowd only pays attention to elections up to the point they lose them?

Another from Michelle Malkin's blog:

EXPECT ANOTHER "OHIO WAS STOLEN" CAMPAIGN


The Buzz is reporting that the special election for Ohio's 2nd district congressional seat has just been called. Local FOX News affiliate reports that the Republican candidate has won:

753 precincts of 753 reporting

JEAN SCHMIDT 57,974 52%
PAUL HACKETT 54,401 48%

AP calls the race for Schmidt. NYTimes covers here.

Much more from the crew at Polipundit.

Just keep scrolling. Won't be long now before the Left starts peddling Ohio conspiracy theories.

More:
Erick at RedState writes that the "Kossacks Are Now 0-16."
Told you it wouldn't take long.
John Hawkins has another "told ya so."

More from the Cincinnati Enquirer:

Republican Jean Schmidt beat Democrat Paul Hackett for the 2nd Congressional District seat Tuesday - though by far less than the GOP had anticipated.

Hear the spinners spinning?

With all precincts reporting, Schmidt had 52 percent of the vote to Hackett's 48 percent - the closest election in the district since 1974.
Democrats - especially the 250 or so Hackett supporters gathered at the Aronoff Center downtown for what they had hoped would be a victory party - tried to pull off an upset that would have shaken national politics to its core.

HUH? To its core? Delusional is the word that comes to mind.

I suppose since the R didn't win by a 3 to 1 margin, national politics was shaken to its topsoil. A 50.1% to 49.9% D loss would have shaken the crust.

By running Hackett - an Iraq war veteran who opposed the war - Democrats hoped the race would become a referendum on President Bush, and especially his Iraq policies.

John Kerry, call your office. Somebody stole your shtick.

Schmidt aimed to continue the Republicans' three-decades-long winning streak in the southern Ohio district, won easily by Bush in 2004.

A former state representative whose political career seemed over a year ago after losing a GOP state Senate primary, Schmidt said her victory was a vindication of Bush administration policies.

"The voters of the district responded the way they have so many times in the past - by sending a proven conservative to represent them in Congress,'' Schmidt said.

Hackett, the Indian Hill lawyer, won Brown, Adams, Scioto and Pike counties.

In Hamilton County, the largest of the seven counties, Schmidt led by 51 percent to 49 percent, a margin of about 1,400 votes. Clermont reported its final vote tally around 11 p.m., ensuring a Schmidt win.

"When there is a choice, democracy is the winner. And we gave them a choice," Hackett said to his cheering supporters.

Whatever helps you sleep at night, loser.