Kamala Harris's DNC speech was surprisingly good

Chicago

The Democratic National Convention this week has been all razzle, dazzle and repetition. Endless platitudes about freedom, values, love, America, patriotism, hope, unity – ‘turning the page on Trump’ and ‘turning hate into hope’. The implicit message: don’t go thinking too hard about whether Kamala Harris could be a good president.

Away from the hype, though, people are wondering: what might America’s first woman commander-in-chief do in office? Some dared to believe Harris might tell us in her acceptance speech – the most significant moment of her political career.

It was, appropriately enough, the most substantial speech of the whole convention

And, to a small extent, she did. Harris may be an empty vessel – but last night she was surprisingly good. She spoke confidently, her delivery was fluent and sounded more authoritative than usual. She laughed once or twice, but didn’t do her famously annoying cackle.

Harris began with the personal. The woman who has been vice president for almost four years re-re-re-introduced herself to the nation — after a tribute to the ‘inspiring’ character of Joe Biden and praise for her vice presidential nominee Tim Walz,

‘America, the path that led me here in recent weeks was no doubt unexpected,’ she said, which was at least honest.