Essay from America: Day of truth for the divided states of America

At the Rockefeller Centre in midtown Manhattan, the resident NBC news station has completed its traditional election night take-over of the ice rink and covered it with a giant map of the states that will light up blue or red as each result is declared.

It allows the presenters all manner of jokes about candidates being on thin ice, falling flat, and performing death spirals.

All over the city, bars and restaurants are adopting election night themes, creating Donald and Hillary cocktails and nursing customers through the long night with prizes for the most accurate poll predictions.