The Ecstasy (and Some Agony) of the Democratic National Convention

If last month’s Republican National Convention was akin to a religious revivial, then this week’s Democratic equivalent was … well, also reminiscent of a spiritual gathering, but crossed with a summer concert festival vibes (even without Beyoncé). “The atmosphere of the Democratic National Convention this week went beyond mere enthusiasm—it ventured on rapturous,” wrote TNR’s Grace Segers. “Attendees spoke of the overwhelming ‘joy’ of the occasion—a term that has been adopted by [Kamala] Harris and her supporters.”

It’s hard to believe that only a month ago, the party was fracturing over whether President Biden should end his reelection campaign. “Today, Democrats look uncontrollably happy—and yes, uncharacteristically unified,” TNR contributor Susan Milligan wrote earlier this week. “There’s been no infighting to speak of, no generational feuds over party ideology, no bloody floor fight. What could have been a contested convention—whether figuratively or literally—has instead been a pure celebration of Vice President Kamala Harris.”

Well, mostly. As TNR’s Alex Shephard argued after Harris’s speech on Thursday night, the convention “has been marred by the Harris campaign’s cowardice and incompetence in dealing with the Uncommitted movement,” adding, “The reluctance to acknowledge the millions of Democrats who are outraged by the Biden administration’s continued support for Israel’s continued assault on Palestinian civilians, which has claimed more than 40,000 lives, is a stain on this convention—and an eminently avoidable one at that.”

Veteran photographer Ron Haviv captured those contrasting vibes for The New Republic.