Pity Barack Obama’s choice as his vice-presidential running mate. That person is now scheduled to speak immediately after Bill Clinton at the Democratic convention in Denver this month, in an exercise that gets increasingly Clintonite as it draws closer.

In spite of having offered only grudging support for Mr Obama, it was confirmed on Friday that Mr Clinton has been offered the prime-time speaking slot in a move that many Democrats see as an act of appeasing the party’s disgruntled elder statesman.