Opinion Today: No surprises, but a big finish in Chicago

Columnists and contributors sum up the final night of the Democratic National Convention.

View in browser|nytimes.com August 23, 2024 By John Guida Senior Staff Editor, Opinion There was no surprise guest, no Beyoncé or Mitt Romney. But it appears Democrats did just fine without one. They closed out the final night of their four-day convention residence in Chicago with a raucous reception of Kamala Harris's speech. Times Opinion columnists and contributors kept score — and in their eyes, as Jane Coaston put it, "they landed the dismount." "Harris herself," Binyamin Appelbaum, a member of the editorial board, wrote, met "the moment with a performance that was confident, principled — presidential." Harris's speech received praise across the range of the panel for its warmth and policy ideas. But she was not alone in the accolades: Other writers singled out speeches from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan (Jamelle Bouie called her "a presidential-level talent"), Representative Maxwell Frost of Florida, Gabby Giffords and those who witnessed and lost loved ones to gun violence. The night did not go without a sore note. Two writers — the Times columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom and the contributing Opinion writer Megan K. Stack — noted what Stack called "the petty refusal" to grant "a Palestinian speaker even a few minutes onstage" as a regrettable omission. Nevertheless, Night 4 of the Democratic convention was the highest-rated of the week (with an average score of 7.6 — Night 1 was 6.25; Night 2, 7.1; Night 3, 6.66). So Kamala Harris and the Democrats did not end the week with a surprise but, perhaps even better, with a bang. Read more: Photo illustration by Shoshana Schultz/The New York Times; photograph by Brynn Anderson/Associated Press Guest Essay 'Confident, Principled — Presidential': The Best and Worst Moments From Kamala Harris's Acceptance Speech What our columnists and contributors thought of speeches by Gretchen Whitmer, Roy Cooper and Kamala Harris. By New York Times Opinion Ask him anything: Times Opinion columnist Jamelle Bouie will be going live on Reddit today at 9:30 a.m. E.T. to answer your questions about key takeaways from the Democratic National Convention. Submit your questions here. Here's what we're focusing on today: Editors' Picks Guest Essay Gus Walz Reminds Me of My Son If the Harris-Walz ticket wins, will parents of people who struggle with being different at last find a powerful advocate in the White House? By Tina Brown More From Opinion Maureen Dowd Kamala Takes Chicago The Democratic presidential nominee was both smart and scorching on the final night of the party's convention. By Maureen Dowd Kamala Harris Just Showed She Knows How to Win Elections are about contrasts. She presented a stirring one. By Frank Bruni 'That Woman From Michigan' Twists the Knife on Trump Gov. Gretchen Whitmer makes the case for tough women. By Michelle Cottle Matter of Opinion What We Learned About Harris — and the Democrats — This Week Kamala Harris's speech was a "joyful but not transformational" moment for the Democrats. 35 MIN LISTEN In Detroit, Democrats Can Hardly Believe What They're Watching Kamala Harris has left them giddy but dazed. By Mara Gay If This T-Shirt Offends You, It's Working You can sense the tenor of each convention at the merch stands. By David Brooks Paul Krugman Trump's Made-Up 'Kamala Crime Wave' The ex-president's claims about violent crime go beyond even his usual disregard for facts. By Paul Krugman Michelle Goldberg Billionaire Donors Have It Out for This Legal Prodigy, but President Harris Will Need Her Lina Khan of the F.T.C. would be crucial to efforts to combat price gouging. By Michelle Goldberg serge Schmemann Putin Is Getting Rattled The surprise incursion into Kursk has given Ukraine an advantage over Russia in the propaganda battle, an important front in this conflict. By Serge Schmemann guest essay Why We Love a Movie Star in a White T-Shirt No garment is simpler. No garment has more star power onscreen. By Ellen Mirojnick Guest Essay How Psychedelic Research Got High On Its Own Supply There's an extraordinary hype that psychedelics will change how we treat mental illness. But the bubble may have just burst. By Caty Enders John mcWhorter The Hidden Grammatical Reason That 'Weird' Works The surprising story behind the word that shook up American politics. By John McWhorter Mira Rojanasakul/The New York Times letters Urgent Calls for Action on the Climate Readers discuss a science article about potentially irreversible changes. Also: Will American elect a felon?; In Gov. Walz, echoes of another coach; a revised jobs report; the key to happiness. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Games Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. 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