Have we faced a missed opportunity these last thirty years because our leaders would not allow a debate? The strong disturbance in the polling force has been the political 'event' of the campaign.
Yet, this does remind me of the fuel protest in 2001 where one saw a strong spike in polling indications before settling back into a traditional pattern. If the pattern persists beyond the second debate, then we can legitimately describe Clegg's appearance and performance as a game-changer.
This does also surprise me. Whilst the decline in the duopoly share of votes had resulted in long periods of government by both Labour and the Conservatives, it was clear that the system would crumble within two elections as the share of the vote was insufficient to underpin single party dominance. This process might have been brought forward by the expenses scandal and a general disillusionment with the political class. Perhaps not!
Whatever the result, a switch towards single transferable vote may result in a so-called "progressive coalition" for the short-term, and as Nick Farage predicts, pluralisation of the political system may enable the opportunity for decentralisation, checks, balances and greater diversity of policies.