Second to the financial meltdown, perhaps the most critical turning point in Barack Obama’s fortunes took place in late August when John McCain announced Sarah Palin as his running mate. Heralded by many as a brilliant move, Mr McCain’s “Hail Mary pass” in retrospect looks disastrous.

In one go, Mr McCain not only neutralised his chief criticism of Mr Obama as lacking in foreign policy experience but also drew attention to his relatively advanced age and the fact that he was still – at 72 – prone to sudden rushes of blood.