They all let the fact a candidate once rejected supposedly isn't put forward again in future conclaves blind them to Bergoglio's chances this time around.

It's not a very surprising choice, though. He had gained as much as 40 votes against Ratzinger in 2005, apparently, and many had foreseen this conclave would come down to a contest between the Italians and the faction that's long been wanting a non European. From the number of votes, it looks like the non-Europeans regrouped behind a single candidate fairly quickly, and pushed through. Bergoglio also has much in common with a bunch of the non European papabile like Ouellet and several of the more "morally" conservative US Cardinals.

But well... good news as far as I'm concerned. I can't be happier to have lost and dreaded a bit Ouellet being elected, though I told myself the local media must have exaggerated his chances. I don't care that much about any Pope, but I couldn't stand that bigot, homophobic misogynist and like a lot of people here was very happy when Ratzinger finally recalled him to Rome, but I feared how omnipresent he would be locally if elected. I've heard, seen and read all I ever wanted to know about the flyspeck village he was born in, that spent the last weeks whining on all tribunes about their fears they'd lose their quiet way of life if he got elected and how complicated to have all the international media in the 417 souls village, and that today are suddenly "very sad" he wasn't elected.

I wonder if the Mayor's press conference will make it to YouTube; the English version read syllable by syllable was... epic. Poor guy.