Whether the nation’s midterm elections left you distraught or delighted (and there was plenty of reason for both reactions on either side of the partisan divide), tonight’s “community conversation” at the Poynter Institute — Midterm Election Results: What Happened and Why? — should prove illuminating.

The Poynter has assembled an impressive panel for the discussion, including two of the most authoritative voices on the national media landscape: John Harwood, chief Washington correspondent at CNBC, and Amy Walter, national editor at The Cook Report, former political director at ABC News and a frequent presence on PBS and NPR. They’ll be joined by Tampa Bay Times Political Editor Adam Smith, and the panel will be moderated by the Times’s former editor-in-chief, Neil Brown, who’s now president of the Poynter.

“A nonpartisan, analytical and exciting discussion” is promised. Given Poynter’s track record as a force for responsible journalism, not to mention the lightning-rod potential of any political discussion these days, that promise seems likely to be kept.

Midterm Election Results: What Happened and Why? 

Poynter Institute, 801 Third St. S., St. Petersburg, Thurs., Nov. 29

 5:30 p.m.: VIP Reception and Dinner ($100)

7:30 p.m.: Community Conversation ($25 for conversation only)