Glen Reynolds on the Nagin victory:

I predict substantially less support for New Orleans reconstruction. Betweeen the Louisiana delegation's absurd overreaching in demanding a huge amount of pork-laden funding, and this, they've managed to squander a lot of the sympathy that was present in in September. Louisiana's political class isn't just greedy -- it's greedy and stupid...

Indeed.

But Will Collier has a different take. He sees the race as a tough choice -between neophyte incompetence (Nagin) and entrenched corruption (Landrieu).

...We're going to help you. We really are. You are our neighbors and our countrymen and our friends, and we love you today as much as we ever did, in spite of and in no small part thanks to all the weirdness and flaws down your way. It's hard to see it from where you are, but we're helping you now, in our slow and ponderous way. We're not going to let it end like this.

But like every deal, this one has two parts, and I'm going to state yours very bluntly: You people are going to have to get your act together. You're going to have to end a lot of the old ways of doing things. You're going to have to get serious about corruption. You're going to have to get serious about crime. You're going to have to get serious about joining the 21st century economy. You're going to have to pick up the trash and take care of your yard, and nag your neighbor to take care of his. Yes, all that is going to change you, and we know you don't like to change, but you can't go back now.

One thing I can promise you is, you cannot go back to the way things were Before. You have been down that road, and you know exactly where it ends.

Well said, but I'm less optimistic about that change occuring.