>>Yes, the people did speak. There is no choice but to accept their verdict.
>>
>>The people also spoke in 2010 but that did not cause big labor to accept their verdict. I find it screamingly funny that the unions spent all that money to oust Walker and just wasted it all.
>
>I find it screamingly funny that you think it was the unions who spent so much money. It was the Koch brothers and their ilk who outspent the other side by a 10:1 ratio, roughly $36 million to $3 million.

Since it was a big election night I decided to indulge my inner need to bash my head against the wall and watch some cable news last night. I made it through around an hour. I started with Fox and they were predictable so I flipped over to MSNBC. Yes, I was the one viewer. I believe it was O'Donnel's show. What struck me right off the bat was the lack of a ticker. Also, he was not talking about the election. Honestly, I cannot remember the topic but he was several questions into his interview with his 2 guests before the night's results came up. The first response was regarding the "bought" election. The same theme kept up through the next couple questions. Having accomplished my goal of a righteous headache, I tuned out and turned off for a while.

When I tuned back in, after the California polls closed, this same meme was being repeated on every station, local and cable news. When I looked to the web, the same thing. Since the blades of the spin are whirring with such force I think it's time to inject a little perspective.
- Money does not buy elections only advertising. Just ask Whitman.
- The coverage generated by the walkout, the legislation's passage and the subsequent campaign more than made up for any purchased advertising.
- The citizens of Wisconsin had made up their minds a long time before election day.
- The voters were energised as the numbers were high as opposed to the lethargic turnout in California
- The margin of victory barely changed (1% more for Walker since 2010)

In California news, San Diego and San Jose have also fired a couple of shots at public sector unions.

San Diego
Prop A - Prohibits the use of union-only “Project Labor Agreements" opening up competitive bidding
Prob B - Moves all city employees (except police) from pensions to 401(k)s + a 5 year freeze on calculation for pension payouts

A&B both resoundingly passed : http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-06/D9V7F4I80.htm

San Jose
Measure B - Requires city employees to contribute 16% of salary to pension or move to 401(k)
http://www.mercurynews.com/elections/ci_20790991/early-returns-san-jose-voters-approving-pension-reform

It's also worth noting that measure B was championed by San Jose's Democrat mayor.

Update : One more observation. Either voters were lying to exit pollsters, the pollsters themselves did not ask the right questions or accurately interpret their findings or simple bias was at work last night. Either way, it reminds me of 2000 when the networks simply could not get the call correct and relied too heavily on their craptastic exit polling.
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2012/06/06/drudge-bests-mainstream-media-again-correctly-calls-wisconsin-recall-