Barack Obama: “Politics, differences of religion or race, all that fades away when we are confronted with the awesome power of nature.”

This race is going to be close. It could determine which party controls the Senate and whether Ohioans can count on the people in Washington to be fighting for you.

People need to “rediscover what’s the story we tell about how we’re going to live together, and see each other, and recognise each other, and disagree, and yet, still care for each other”.

I’m going to insist that we can do better than we’re doing right now.

I think when we act on that basis, it doesn't always work out, but over time things do get better.