LIBERAL DEMOCRATS leader Nick Clegg rammed home his unprecedented advantage in the first ever television debate between Prime Minister candidates.
Never before in British politics had the Lib Dems been allowed equal footing with Labour and the Conservatives.
But Mr Clegg's assured performance on ITV can only make a hung parliament more likely, a result which would put his party in the powerful position of potential kingmakers.
Indeed, an exit poll of 4,000 people immediately after the debate by ITV/ComRes showed Mr Clegg as the debate winner on 43%.
Conservative leader David Cameron was in second place on 26% with Labour leader Gordon Brown on 20%. 11% of those polled thought no one had won.
In fairness to Mr Brown and Mr Cameron, the Lib Dem leader was able to go into the contest with the pressure off.
Many viewers would have been unaware of him or his policies and previous elections show that the usual increased exposure benefits the Lib Dems by up to 5%.
But no Lib Dems leader has previously had this golden opportunity to engage in direct election sparring with his political opponents.
And if Mr Clegg had been nervous at the prospect, he did not need to have worried as the bickering between Mr Brown and Mr Cameron aided him immensely.
There had been concerns in the Lib Dems' camp in the run-up to the election that their vote might be squeezed by the two main parties' core support solidifying.
On a similar note, Mr Clegg may have feared that he would be ignored during these historic debates.
But, if anything, the contradictory exchanges between Mr Brown and Mr Cameron will have helped him - even though, at times, he seemed like a headteacher rebuking two unruly pupils.
The incumbent PM, Mr Brown, came across as particularly uncomfortable, though this was widely forecast based upon previous media performances.
Unlike Mr Clegg or Mr Cameron, he rarely addressed the audience member who posed the question - or indeed the public at home, preferring instead to reel off a set of meaningless 'facts'.
He also took notes profusely while the other speakers had their turn, giving an impression that he cared little for what they said.
And when he did lift his head, Mr Brown could be found smirking at opposing arguments, despite massive holes in the running of his government being exposed.
Comfortably ahead in the polls, Mr Cameron undoubtedly had most to lose from the debate, and he will probably just be glad to have avoided a game-changing gaffe.
Of course, the format made such a singular moment unlikely with no fewer than 76 rules governing the discussion.
Nevertheless, the quality of debate was better than I had anticipated and this was a worthy 90 minutes of broadcasting in the run-up to an incredibly important election.
The unenviable job of moderation by Alastair Stewart was managed by the ITV anchor pretty well.
He interrupted regularly to cut out any sign of waffle and moved on the debate in a sensible fashion.
He gave all of the leaders ample time to state their case on seven domestic issues - immigration, law and order, political reform, education, defence, health and elderly care.
Mr Brown warned twice of the Conservatives causing a double dip recession though the PM was mainly forced to defend 13 years of government.
Mr Cameron tried to make hay by emphasising the effect that Labour's planned National Insurance rise would have on employing teachers in schools and nurses in hospitals.
It was not a surprising line of attack by Mr Cameron. The issue over National Insurance has dominated the early days of an unremarkable election campaign, which began 10 days ago.
The Tories attracted the support of dozens of business leaders and they enjoyed a slight boost in the polls.
But even the swing to the Tories in the marginals is not enough for them to gain a majority and ensure Mr Cameron is Britain's next PM.
Despite this, the polls still suggest that Mr Cameron will be the leader with the largest party after the election on 6th May.
And so it was perhaps surprising that Mr Clegg clashed with the Conservative leader quite so often tonight, most notably on the retention of Trident and their respective proposed tax cuts.
After all, it seems unthinkable that the country would accept the Lib Dems using their power in a hung parliament to prop up Mr Brown.
Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg did agree on some matters such as the need for urgent reviews on the allocation of defence spending and on the deficit by the main players in the economy.
Taken as a whole, the first debate leaves the election still all to play for.
But while it was hardly decisive, at least it was better than I thought it might be.
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