Yes, we woke up at 3 a.m. (Swedish time) to watch The Debate. And yes, we were predictably appalled by Trump, and – in my case less predictably – impressed by Clinton. But I have nothing original to contribute here to the debate about The Debate; no points that aren’t already being made in this morning’s papers. I’ve studied American history, and have always taken a deep, almost obsessive, interest in American politics (I was there for the 2008 Election), and I think I have some understanding of Trump’s popular appeal. Obviously by any objective and intelligent understanding Hillary ‘won’ last night, and by some distance. But how well that will play with the American electorate – her cool female reason against his male blustering and bullying – I can’t tell. America is an alien place. Our transatlantic cousins? Hardly.

I try to restrict my comments on this blog to things I have special knowledge or experience of. On the USA, I’m just one of the boring, predictable, liberal-intellectual crowd.