If you believe the bookies, it certainly seems to be all over for Mr McCain, unless something quite drastic happens. The odds offered by Ladbrokes at 00:15 BST (26 Oct) are 1/14 for Mr Obama and 13/2 for Mr McCain to win. It is now virtually impossible for Mr McCain to win but it is still possible for Mr Obama to lose. Given the large turn-out in early and postal voting, Mr Obama may have banked quite a lot of votes before 4 November. The uphill struggle will become steeper and steeper for Mr McCain, day by day.
It remains to be seen if the next US president will be able to alter the dire economic situation of the US and the rest of the world.