The loudest cheer in Chicago on Tuesday night came when the network television stations declared that Barack Obama had won Ohio, the Midwestern state in which George W. Bush narrowly pipped John Kerry to the post in 2004 to retain the White House.

Long before that critical swing state went Mr Obama’s way at about 8.30pm Chicago time, it was apparent to the swelling Obama victory crowds in the Windy City’s Grant Park that Tuesday night was going to be a big one for the Democratic party – probably a historic one.