Four years ago, we found out that John Kerry’s running mate was John Edwards because some clued-in employee snapped the newly-painted Kerry/Edwards campaign jet in the hangar as the paint was still drying. So when an Obama/Veneman jet appeared in a photo that swept the blogosphere, fans of George W Bush’s one-time agriculture secretary worked themselves into a frenzy. All four of them. But, no, it is the much less interesting Joe Biden. Discuss. But not here please!

I disagree with Obama on his general political direction – not that McCain strikes me as much better, given his growing ideological staggers as we near November. So why is there something about Obama which nonetheless appeals? It isn’t some misplaced enthusiasm for US politics that afflicts some – a desire to be near ‘real power’ as it seemed so far away over here. I see no point in herding over the Atlantic to the conventions, wandering round like starry-eyed children in Hamleys just before Christmas, returning with all sorts of natty ideas that never really translate to this country.

It is more the reason that I fell in love with The West Wing. Yes, it’s political, but both that series and Sen Obama seem to suggest that politics has a purpose, and that is not about winning. If you are devoting yourself a constituency like I am, you want to feel you are doing it for a reason which is more than just to get your backside on a green bench. There is nothing wrong with idealism. I think of myself as a cynic sometimes – but then a cynic is just a hyper-idealist who is always disappointed.

So what on earth has all of this to do with either Blackpool or Cleveleys. Mr Obama is hardly likely to make a stop here, although one could consider the historic county of Lancashire as our very own ‘swing state’ over here.

It’s back to Photoshop. Artists’ impressions – of which we experience many here in Blackpool – are glorified Photoshop efforts. Best guesses of what might be if one day the powers that be ever got it together. I’ve said before I would love to see the Grundy do an exhibition of all those artists’ impressions that never came to anything. One artists impression that has finally come to be is Hounds Hill. Debenhams is now open for business and – surprise, surprise – it’s just like a Debenhams!