Call it a virtual election night party. You supply your own refreshments, we bring the guests with informed, passionate views to share. Just below this article begins the thread of comments that is The Tyee's election night forum, a little patch of cyberspace where some of BC's best pundits mix it up with you, our feisty readers.

The first election night that we tried this, so many Tyee readers registered comments that our site crashed…right after the CBC told everyone to rush over here and have a look. We are of the firm belief that our new, improved site is designed to withstand the buffeting impact of a wildly opinionated horde. Bring it on.

Way back on December 5, Rafe Mair predicted here "the X factor", a wave of throw-the-bums-out disgust, would swamp the game plan of the Liberals. Was he right? We took a hard look at Stephen Harper past and present. Has he evolved? We chronicled labour's arms length embrace of Jack Layton. Was Hargrove wrong? We pondered close BC races and the Green vote. And we highlighted "invisible" election issues including child poverty, immigrants' concerns, fish farming and Canada's complicity in U.S. torture. Plus, of course, Will McMartin fearlessly weighed in with his seat predictions.

You can't say we haven't provided grist for tonight's discussion.

So what about it? Who ran the best campaigns? Why are Canadians voting the way they are? Has the media done its job? What's next for the various parties, not to mention the fate of the nation? This forum is yours to make your own. Please, have at it.

David Beers is founding editor of The Tyee.