Bad night for blowhards, and a good night for revenge

Donald Trump says he wants a revolution. Well, you know, maybe he can fire the first shot with a from his West Palm Beach country club.

Or maybe he should just take President Obama’s re- election with some grace. Here’s a look at Election 2012 winners and losers in South Florida and beyond.

Winner: Revenge voting. Florida voters dug in and cast ballots despite long lines and other hurdles, including the Legislature’s best efforts to frustrate voters with truncated early voting and 11 confusing amendments that meant more paper to stuff into balky scanners.

Loser: Big- mouth blow hards. It was a badnight for Allen West, Trump and his zany Obama- bashing challenges/ conspiracy theories, and any Republican candidate who beat up on rape victims. West, edged by new comer Patrick Murphy, isn’t going quietly, alleging irregularities and filing suit for a recount. Shocking.

Winner: The other 49 states. They voted, they tabulated results and were colored red or blue by night’s end.

Loser: Flori- duh. Battles over early voting, problems with absentee ballots, lawsuits — and when the dust settled Wednesday, we still can’t say who won because counties are still counting. Even when an election isn’t close, we’re a national punch line.

Winner: Funny negative ads. I laughed when I first saw the TV spot that warned about the three biggest threats to Florida property insurance rates: “Hurricanes, sinkholes and Republican state senator Ellyn Bogdanoff.” That ad, which criticized Bogdanoff’s coziness with insurers, helped Democrat Maria Sachs to victory.

Loser: Gross negative ads. I blanched when I first sawthe “Gotta go” TV spot

with awoman sitting on a closed toilet, bashing Democratic congressional candidate Lois Frankel and flushing. Instead, voters sent Republican Adam Hasner down the circular drain in the redrawn Broward/ Palm Beach County district that West fled.

Winner: Muslims. They fundraised nationally to help Murphy defeat West, called “the biggest anti- Muslim political figure in America” by activist Ahmed Bedier.

Loser: The Catholic Church. In newsletters, parishioners were urged to support the rights of the unborn. But pro- life Mitt Romney lost and antiabortion Amendment 5 went down. To cap it off, Amendment 8, which would have allowed direct state funding of religious schools, was resoundingly defeated.

Winner: Former governors. Hispanic- friendly Jeb Bush is being touted as a Republican front- runner for 2016, and Charlie Crist might get an administration post — or the Democratic nomination for governor in 2014— after he stumped hard for Obama.

Loser: Gov. Rick Scott. Already unpopular, he did himself no favors with frustrated voters by refusing to extend early voting hours.

Winner: Palm Beach Kennel Club. Palm Beach County voters approved slot machines, but it’s doubtful the Legislature will go along because a slots expansion would void the Seminoles’ gambling compact with the state.

Loser: Al Lamberti. The Broward sheriff gambled he could stay a Republican in a Democrat heavy county and win a second time. The odds caught up with him, as Democrat Scott Israel won a nasty rematch.