Considered a critical test for the validity of Harris’ presidential bid, the Democratic National Convention held this week has almost universally been credited a huge success for her and the entire Democratic brand as we move now toward the November elections. In fact, the four-day show was veritably flawless, from Harris’ speech (half the length of Trump’s) to the muted protests and full throated endorsements spoken by Sanders and AOC to the down-home folksiness of Walz and his family and the shamess patriotism expressed.

     Yes, it is fascinating how Trump has handed the formerly-cornerstone themes of GOP campaigns, — patriotism, national security and family values — over to the Democrats, who did not miss the opportunity to grab the huge middle of the field as a result.

     Writes Edward Luce in the Financial Times, “From the populist left to traditional centrists, Democrats have called a truce on their fissures and personality tensions for the next 70-odd days. They have Trump to thank for that.”

     Rather than Trump being the “powerful patriot,” at this week’s convention he was successfully depicted as “a weak, narrow-minded and selfish old man,” while “Harris and her allies honed in on their key theme that personal freedoms — including reproductive rights — were at stake..showing.Democrats can be tough and patriotic too,” wrote Jemes Politi, Alex Roberts and Lauren Fedor under the headline, “Harris Rebrans Democrats to Take on ‘Unserious; Trump.”