Of all the possible outcomes to the US presidential election, the one which caused most apprehension on both sides of the Atlantic was an exceptionally tight finish.
There was always a danger that Donald Trump and Joe Biden would each claim victory during a counting process which stretched over several days and might eventually be decided by the courts rather than the voters.
That was the position which was unfolding yesterday, with serious consequences at every level for a country struggling to deal with the covid crisis, economic uncertainty, and, perhaps worst of all, the long term prospect of a bitterly divided society.
In all the fraught circumstances, it was essential that the two central figures would respond in a measured way which respected democracy, acknowledged the ultimate verdict of the people and avoided a dangerous increase in tensions.
Mr Trump, sadly but predictably, went for the opposite course of action, declaring without any credible evidence that a massive conspiracy involving astonishing amounts of electoral fraud linked to postal votes was taking place to deprive him of a second term in office.
It was a missed opportunity on a grand scale, as he could quite easily have insisted that, after the most contentious presidency in living memory, his record had been vindicated by an increase in his overall support and he was ready to accept a final result which could go in either direction.
Instead, he set out to inflame passions at a period when pro and anti Trump factions were already confronting each other on the streets of cities across America.
Mr Biden maintained a low key approach during a campaign which avoided controversy but often failed to dispel suggestions that, at 77, he was too old to take on the reins of power.
However, he at least conducted himself with dignity throughout and effectively acknowledged that, whoever is sworn in on January 20, the main priority will be a programme of reconciliation and healing.
We do not yet know whether the White House will be in Republican or Democratic hands for the next four years, although the odds appeared to be shifting in Mr Biden’s favour last night.
What can be said is that Mr Trump’s attitude yesterday confirmed the belief that the US can only benefit from a change of leadership.
