Barack Obama: “When you cast your ballot, you will have the opportunity to determine the course of this country's direction.”

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”.

When we choose, when we make that decision, I do believe – and there is evidence for this – that the world gets incrementally better, and that is a worthy goal and it’s worth fighting for.

And I will fight for that, even if I don’t always think it’s going to win.

The full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president.