Barack Obama: “We're going to go through a process, and I will make my decision some time in the weeks to come.”

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”.

It is a decision about how do we face and embrace this finite amount of time we have on the planet.

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