The dramatic arc of Barack Obama’s drive to victory in the US presidential election was played out in the pages of The Tyee over the past year. Here’s a quick review.

Way back in January, before the first primary vote was cast, our U.S. election writer Michael Fellman proved prescient in declaring his “hunch” that Obama would win his party’s nomination. “The Democratic candidate from Nice is Barack Obama. Although African-American, he runs not as what used to be called a "good race man," but as a non-partisan humanist who wants to appeal across angry divides. As well as being bright, introspective and adept, he has that magic something in buckets.”

But that same week, Tyee investigative editor Monte Paulsen, a veteran reporting on U.S. political races, warned of the ugly tactics sure to be used by the Clinton camp, and then Republicans. Echoing Jesse Jackson, Paulsen asked whether Obama could “keep hope alive” under the onslaught.

Still in January, a few weeks later, Fellman accused Bill Clinton of hurting Hillary’s chances with his reckless, race-tinged statements, and by end of February, he was confidently predicting Obama would be the next U.S. president barring some big, unforeseen scandal.

As the campaign unfolded, Fellman had fun toying with conspiracy theories about Canada’s complicity in dirty tricks against Obama, and later explained why, whatever the details of trade policies or Afghanistan support, an Obama-led America was the best chance for a better functioning global economy, and therefore Canadians.

Crawford Kilian marveled at the brilliance and insight he found in Obama’s writings. He also admired Obama’s use of the new media.

At the peak of Sarah Palin’s popularity as McCain’s new pick as running mate, Rafe Mair declared her inexperience and hard-right views would prove a big liability to the Republicans. And Vanessa Richmond urged Americans elect Tina Fey their president.

Meanwhile, The Tyee’s blog The Hook was surprised to find a McCain critic esconced at the Fraser Institute. Diane Katz was saddened to see McCain speak highly of green energy while beating up and victimizing … big oil. “Oil bashing” was out of hand, she argued, and that would hurt Canada, because, well, the oil sands are the most polluting way of producing fossil fuels around.

It got even weirder. We let you watch Palin be blessed by a witch hunter, and listen in on Palin pranked by two Quebec comedians.

When election day arrived, The Hook relayed global response from our own network of correspondents in more than a dozen countries, ranging from Grant Park, Chicago to Kabul, Afghanistan, from Paris to Beijing and even Yaletown, Vancouver.

Will McMartin analyzed how the Obama win might recast the coming provincial election in B.C.

And Michael Fellman resisted gloating and telling everyone “I was right!”, crafting instead a typically thoughtful and cogent look ahead to the challenges Obama will face – and reason to hope that, yes, he can.

David Beers is editor of The Tyee.