In high-stakes Wisconsin elections, it often feels like the fiercest fighting occurs along the Milwaukee to Madison corridor.

That's where the state's three biggest counties are: Milwaukee, Dane and Waukesha. It's where the state's capital and largest city are. It's where the geographic base of each party is. And it's the most combative, media-intensive, politically polarized part of Wisconsin.

But that's not where Gov. Scott Walker carved out his historic recall victory.

In geographic terms, the big story of the state's June 5 election was Walker's dominance outside the Milwaukee and Madison media markets.

In demographic terms, it was Walker's rural landslide.