(Bloomberg) -- Vice President Kamala Harris ceremonially accepted the Democratic nomination for president as a historic candidate who entered the race under highly unusual circumstances.
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Harris became the first Black and Asian American woman to become a major-party candidate. Her challenge now is to harness the energy and excitement of a party reinvigorated by her rapid ascent.
A sprint to the election of less than three months now begins. Here are the five takeaways from final day of the Democratic National Convention:
Outreach to Independents
Harris promised to be a “president for all Americans” in an explicit appeal to independent voters as well as Republicans opposed to former President Donald Trump. She delivered a lengthy indictment of Trump, calling him an “unserious man” who presents a serious threat to democracy.
Policy Details
The 39-minute address was light on policy specifics — as most nomination speeches are — but she promised to ease the housing shortage, protect Social Security and enact a middle-class tax cut that will benefit more than 100 million Americans. She also pledged to defend abortion rights, secure the US-Mexico border and ensure that the US has “the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world.”
Party Unity
Harris’ speech provided the pinnacle to an extraordinary candidate swap that had her pick up the mantle from President Joe Biden, who exited the race a month ago in response to growing pressure from within his party to yield to a younger candidate. Despite a smattering of protests, the Democratic Party put forward an buoyant and united face to defeat Trump, with “joy” being a buzzword of the convention.
Viral Moments
Democrats delivered a star-studded, made-for-television spectacle with an eye toward creating viral moments. The first three days of the convention attracted audiences 3- to 4 million viewers larger than the Republican event last month, with help from musical performances by generation-spanning artists like Stevie Wonder, Pink, John Legend, Sheila E. and Maren Morris.
Polling Bounce
Presidential candidates often get a polling “bounce” following their conventions, but the unusual circumstances surrounding Harris’ nomination meant that her surge came weeks ago, when she was legally designated as the Democratic nominee following Biden’s departure from the race.
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