How could B.C.'s New Democrats cruise into the provincial election with a supposed double digit lead and ended up losing? After pundits had their swings at that piñata, Tyee readers got their opportunity last week by answering our Barometer poll.

The largest group of respondents feel BC Liberal negative campaigning techniques routed the NDP's messaging. But significant numbers of readers identified other factors, as well.

To be clear, there's nothing scientific about our poll whose respondents are self-selecting. And yes, it is a poll that in part is asking why the polls were wrong, which seems a strange leap of faith. But enough readers, 858 of you, participated to create a good-sized sample of what the Tyee community tends to believe. Here are the results:

Question: Why did the New Democrats lose the election?

Negative campaigning trumped positive: 40.3 per cent

NDP positions lacked appeal: 23.9 per cent

Dix a flawed candidate: 22 per cent

Media bias: 7.3 per cent

Split vote among progressives: 6.4 per cent

The poll was sponsored by Tyee Builders whose monthly financial contributions are a key source of funding for Tyee journalism. Thanks Builders!

This week's Tyee Barometer asks: Do you support moving to a more proportional representative system in Canada? Share your view.

David Beers is editor of The Tyee.