It felt more like a religious revival meeting. In spite of being introduced as the “First Lady of Television”, Oprah Winfrey could as ­easily have been described as the preacher-in-chief. Endorsing Barack Obama as “the one, the one I have been waiting for”, Ms Winfrey played the unlikely role of John the Baptist to Mr Obama’s Jesus.

Addressing a boisterous crowd of 8,000 who had queued outside for more than an hour in the freezing cold, Ms Winfrey did not once by name mention Hillary Clinton, who remains the Democratic frontrunner. Nor did Mr Obama. But the combined message was more than clear: Mrs Clinton lacks the moral rectitude to lead the US. Only Mr Obama possesses that.