Saluting his erstwhile rival, Obama said: “If I’m not mistaken, Hillary Clinton rocked the house last night.” The crowd roared. “And just in case you’re wondering... President Clinton reminded us of what it is when you’ve got a President who actually puts people first.” The couple, along with their daughter, Chelsea, beamed from the VIP seats.

Obama’s installation as the Democratic nominee capped a swift rise that began four years ago at the party’s national convention when Obama delivered a soaring keynote address. Bookending his rise is Thursday night’s acceptance speech at Invesco Field, a football stadium expected to fill with more than 75,000 people.

On Wednesday, Democrats continued their pounding of Republican John McCain.

Senator John F Kerry of Massachusetts, the 2004 Democratic nominee who once considered McCain as a possible running mate, said “the candidate who once promised a ‘contest of ideas’ now has nothing left but personal attacks. How insulting. How pathetic. How desperate”.

Obama’s formal nomination as the Democrat’s standard-bearer came in a choreographed minuet that followed weeks of negotiations between the Clinton and Obama camps. The crowd took up a chant of “Hillary”, which gave way to “Obama” and “Yes, we can”. The presiding officer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco, quickly slammed her gavel before any dissent could be heard, and the song Love Train blasted through the speakers.