Why the Senator won't sparkle from Day 1

Now that the Obamamania has left these shores it is worth reflecting on the amazing effect that the visit has made.

With both polititians and people clambering to be seen in his presence,are we placing a little too much faithi in his ability to turn around the state of the world?

Anybody but Bush is the cry that is heard in most of the West's capitals.Nick Cohen writing in this morning's Observer reminds us that come January the problems willnot go away.

In January, Bush will be history, leaving liberals all alone in a frightening world. Little else will change. Radical Islam will still authorise murder without limit, Iran will still want the bomb and the autocracies of China and Russia will still be growing in wealth and confidence. All those who argued that the 'root cause' of the Bush administration lay behind the terror will find that the terror still flourishes when the root cause has retired.