There was dancing, clapping, defiance, praise for Barack Obama, dire warnings, fierce pride, and rallying cries for more than 17 million voters.

And that was just Hillary Clinton.

This was perhaps the most impassioned and electrifying night of the former First Lady's campaign, a genuinely packed crowd on her home turf in New York, hundreds of journalists, campaign aides demob happy but still on message, and a feeling that Mr Obama cannot do without her - fuelled by an extraordinary speech.

Mrs Clinton talked of party unity, but - make no mistake - Mr Obama was being put on notice: this was victory for him on her terms. She wants to be vice-president.

Unlike previous primary night rallies where Mrs Clinton was the victor - and she won South Dakota against the odds last night - there were no television screens on view to record the fact for cheering supporters. Every cable network was fixated on Mr Obama's countdown to victory as superdelegate after superdelegate rallied behind him to end the race.

At 9pm, he officially crossed the finishing line, but inside the bowls of Baruch College in lower Manhattan, the crowd were unaware and uninterested in him. They still passionately believe in her.

"She has been treated horribly," said Barbara Whitaker, 47. "I think she's going to run as an independent and win."

Walter Coppage, 61 and an African American, said: "She's never going to give up. I've met her. She's a great, great lady. If she loses, I vote for McCain."

In the hour before Mrs Clinton appeared with her husband Bill and daughter Chelsea, Lanny Davis, a former White House counsel to the Clintons and one of her most vocal defenders, was telling journalists of his impending internet petition to get her on the presidential ticket as Mr Obama's running mate. Mrs Clinton had not opposed the idea, he said.

Then Hillary took to the stage. The roar was deafening. She began with such praise for Mr Obama that there was a sense that a concession was suddenly coming.

“It has been an honour to contest these primaries with him, just as it is an honour to call him my friend," she said.

Mr Obama was readying himself for an historic victory address in Minnesota, but if had been watching what followed, he might have got a chill up his spine. She began to articulate again why she is the better candidate to beat John McCain - and then this: "I want the nearly 18 million Americans who voted for me to be respected, to be heard and to no longer be invisible.” The crowd went wild.

She said to roars: "In millions of quiet moments in thousands of places you asked yourself a simple question: who will be the strongest candidate? Who will be ready to take charge of the White House and ready to be commander-in-chief?

"I often felt that each of your votes was a prayer for our nation...I am so proud we stayed the course together.”

She was interrupted with shouts of "Denver! Denver!" - a rallying cry for those who want her take the nomination all the way to the Colorado convention in August. Terry McAuliffe, her campaign chairman, introduced her as the "next president of the United States!"

Mr Obama's chief aide phoned Mrs Clinton last night. He got her answer phone. He told her that Mr Obama wanted to talk. When he finally gets through, the nominee-elect - who instinctively does not want Hillary Clinton on his ticket - has his first major political and diplomatic challenge on his hands.

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