Fine, it went on a little long, especially for those of us in attendance. But night one of the Democratic convention was (almost) never boring and was often rollicking, and it established three important points. The Democrats hammered home that they’re on the side of the working and middle classes; they, or some of them, ripped Donald Trump’s character; and most of all, they showcased women, because if Kamala Harris is going to make it to the White House, it’s women who are going to drive that.

That last point is key. As soon as I got the email in the afternoon giving the full list of Monday night’s speakers, the thing that struck me immediately was the proximity of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Hillary Clinton. They were almost one right after the other, separated only by a short presentation by Harris’s childhood friend and her mother.

This could have been a little weird, given the generational and ideological differences. But it ended up proving that the Democratic Party is capacious enough to include both politicians comfortably. AOC took the stage to thunderous applause, which was great to hear. The Democratic Party, as manifest in that hall, isn’t a lot of Gen Zers from bohemian urban neighborhoods. It’s middle-aged lawyers and public employees and other union workers from the suburbs. It was great to see those people give her that welcome. And she was amazing. She spoke about........

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