Leaders matter. Whether nations flourish or stumble in the face of challenges depends a lot on how well they are led. America today faces its gravest challenges in many decades, so the quality of its leadership matters more than ever. And yet this year American voters have been offered a choice between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

What a choice. Trump is wholly unfit for the job in terms of experience, intellect and character, and he has demeaned his office and his country for four long, sad years. Biden is a lacklustre journeyman politician with few ideas and no charisma, whose only compelling claim to the presidency is that he is not Donald Trump.