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Keller @ Large: Hidden Winners And Losers

BOSTON (CBS) - Congratulations to all of last night's winners.

Condolences to the losers.

You know who you are on both counts. Everyone does. But do you know who the HIDDEN winners and losers of election night were?

Here are a few of my nominees: first, some winners.

Let's start with organized labor, Bobby Haynes and the gang at the AFL-CIO. They looked foolish last winter after they turned their backs on Steve Lynch and backed Martha Coakley in the US Senate race, only to see a majority of their own rank-and-file bolt for Scott Brown.

But they swallowed their distaste for Gov. Patrick and rallied behind him, proving that they can still deliver votes when they need to. Speaking of Congressman Lynch, he not only won re-election easily, but is a hidden winner because last night yielded several possible competitors for him in a possible 2012 Democratic primary to take on Brown for the Senate seat, including unopposed Cong. Mike Capuano and either Lt. Gov Tim Murray or Gov. Patrick himself, and Lynch needs a crowded primary to have the best chance of winning. Is that complicated enough for you?

Another winner: Deval Patrick, not just for his sweeping re-election win, but for his classy, gracious acceptance speech. Barney Frank, take note, THAT's how it's done.

And finally, vicious negative attack ads were a winner, working wonders for Bill Keating and John Tierney.

How about losers?

There were plenty, mostly with the letter R after their name, but hidden losers included conservative talk radio, which openly touted losers across the board, Curt Schilling, whose endorsement is now proven worthless, and Mitt Romney, who is finding that you actually cannot go home again.

There are many more, but I'm out of time. Add your suggestions to my list below, and we might use them on TV later on.

Listen to Jon Keller's commentary now:

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You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. and 12:55 p.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.

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