President Biden’s heartfelt speech at his party’s nominating convention on Monday was a remarkable coda to a tempestuous summer for he and his fellow Democrats, triggering surprisingly intense emotion and gratitude from those in attendance. Barely a month ago, his party was locked in searing recriminations over Biden’s then-refusal to leave the race. But last night, all that seemed very far away. Some hailed Biden’s speech for the way he demonstrated love of country. Others admired his basic decency. Still others took note of his searching reflections on his own human frailties.

But not enough has been said about arguably the most important part of Biden’s speech: what he had to say about Kamala Harris. The way Biden talked up the potential of a Harris presidency points to one way the party can shore up her vulnerabilities among swing and undecided voters and rebuff the coming billion-dollar tornado of GOP attack ads—which is necessary to win.

Biden’s speech brimmed with populism. He aggressively defended the Biden-Harris record in building the economy back from the disaster unleashed by Trump and the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic into the envy of the world. He led with that, rather than leading with an apology for inflation—though he conceded that much work remains.

Biden also illuminated his successes in expanding health coverage, combating prescription drug prices, and unleashing major investments in manufacturing in the heartland, linking that to the dignity that attends having the choice to remain and work in the community where you grew up.

The president drew a sharp contrast between a Harris presidency, which would build on these successes, and a second Trump one, which would roll back all that progress while handing more huge tax cuts to the rich and corporations.

That was all terrific stuff. But Biden also subtly rebutted some of the racialized attacks on Harris:

I’m proud that I’ve kept my commitment to have an administration that looks like America, and that taps into the full talent of our nation. The most diverse cabinet in history, including the first Black woman and South Asian descent to serve as Vice President—and will........

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