Well, you see, simply picking a paisan and not the best man is part of the human condition of temptation. It’s easy to say, “Don’t be self-interested but do the best for the common good,” and very hard to actually do when one’s self-interests are at stake (look at current US partisanship gridlocking Congress). The inspiration of the Spirit (called ‘grace’ which means a gift or help) helps one overcome human foibles and temptations.
At least, it’s supposed to. Took a long time for the mostly Italian cardinals to stop choosing a fellow paisan.
… in whichever language the fundamentalist’s copy is printed.
The inspiration could be along the lines of “choose someone who’s more of a pastor than a theologian”, “choose someone from the ‘soft line’, because that’s what the Church needs now, regardless of whether you’re soft or hard” - either one would still have many candidates which fit the bill.