ONLY a month ago, the American presidential race seemed to be a slugfest between two old men, one who did not look physically up to the job and the other, with his orange skin, looked physically weird.

However, 81-year-old Joe Biden was pushed aside by the Democrats and 59-year-old Kamala Harris has suddenly galvanised the soft left of American politics.

As vice-president for the last four years, she’s been kept out of the limelight and most casual observers would have got the impression that she wasn’t up to the top job.

But she’s bounced into the campaign with energy and a winning smile, and she seems extremely personable. She’s human, in a way many politicians are not.

Her nomination acceptance speech in the early hours of yesterday told us much about her back story and her personality. Importantly for us in the UK, it contained a brave passage about Ukraine, whereas her opponent, Donald Trump, sends out contradictory messages – except that, in his fantasy land, he could end the war in a day.

Ms Harris was short on policy initiatives and beyond applause-winning platitudes, didn’t really have a grand vision about how she might improve the nation. This disappointed some critics, who say she was overwhelmed by the Obamas, Michele and Barack, but there are not many people who could beat either of them in an oratory contest.

Ms Harris, though, did not let herself down. She has brought the election to life, she has given the American people a choice, and she may even rouse Mr Trump out of his tired old tropes.

The election looks likely to be very close, with just a handful of swing states effectively electing the next president. Ms Harris has given them something to think about.