The UK Sun is perhaps the paper that gives the best indication of Rupert Murdoch's schemes and aspirations. It's based almost entirely on unrepentant nativism, anti-Continental prejudice, breathless violent crime reportage, immigrant/pedophile fear-mongering, celebrity abuse, royal family adoration, and T&A. It has the highest circulation of any daily English-language newspaper in the world. And it loves Barack Obama! In a rapturous story published today under the header "The REAL American Idol," the Sun's political team all but deifies the Illinois Senator.

And last night Mr Obama promised Americans they could propel him into the White House on a wind of change in November.

He is now a step closer to realising the ambitions of Martin Luther King, the black civil rights leader assassinated in 1968.

It was in August 1963 that King famously declared on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial: "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal'."

‘America, this is our moment ... tonight, we mark the end of one historic journey with the start of another'

Illinois senator Mr Obama finally swept to victory after pocketing an unstoppable majority in the number of nominations needed from Democrat supporters.

The last time the paper loved a liberal so much was 1997, when it suddenly supported Britain's Labour party for the first time since Murdoch took over the tabloid. Because ideology takes a back seat to power, and Murdoch does not like to be seen backing losers. Once the liberal's in power, Murdoch can hopefully use the power of the press to encourage a little political realignment. Say, fighting the Euro and backing Iraq, in the case of Tony Blair. And would you look at that, the portion of Obama's speech that the Sun seemed to like the most was the saber-rattling against Iran:

He vowed that as President he would do "everything" in his powers to stop Tehran getting its hands on a nuclear bomb.

He told a 7,000-strong crowd: "The danger from Iran is grave and my goal will be to eliminate this threat. I will do everything in my power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon."

He added: "I will always stand up for Israel's right to defend itself in the United Nations and around the world." Mr Obama has already vowed to pull US soldiers out of war-torn Iraq.

And last night he insisted it was right to force the country's own military to take charge there.

He went on: "Keeping all of our troops tied down indefinitely in Iraq isn't the way to weaken Iran, it's precisely what strengthened it."

Murdoch still isn't quite as influential in the States as he is in Great Britain, but what a difference four years could make!