Little more than a month ago, what the Democratic party has achieved in Chicago this week would have seemed unthinkable. Yet, in a few short weeks, the party has dumped a stumbling Joe Biden as its nominee, seamlessly installed Kamala Harris as his unchallenged replacement, acclaimed Tim Walz as her running mate, reinvigorated its campaign and its finances, and made itself competitive against Donald Trump again.
This was never really in doubt during the week, although it came at the price of a ruthless marginalisation of the party's most pro-Palestinian supporters. The harder task was for the Vice President to use her primetime speech to demonstrate a personal evolution into someone whom Americans can see and hear as a potential president and commander in chief. She succeeded in this too, and with something to spare.
There were obvious nerves at times, a useful reminder of the vertiginous remaking of her life that has taken place so suddenly, and which may make her the most powerful woman on the planet in a few months' time. Nevertheless, by opting for seriousness, rather than rhetoric or knockabout, Ms. Harris showed that she means business.
Yet this is only the start. There is still an election to win, an election that will shape America and the world. The feelgood mood in Chicago will turn to ashes if Mr. Trump is elected.
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