Kamala Harris introduces “Coach” Tim Walz, her trusty running-mate
As Republicans seek to brand their rivals as dangerously liberal, Democrats are matching Donald Trump’s public displays of enthusiasm
![U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris holds rally with vice president pick, in Philade](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240810_USP506.jpg)
ALMOST EVERYTHING about the scene in a packed 10,000-seat basketball arena in Philadelphia on the evening of August 6th would have been unimaginable just six weeks ago. First, there was the sheer size and Swiftie-like zeal of a Democratic crowd waving their glow-in-the-dark wristbands, dancing to a DJ’s tunes and fired by belief that their ticket might actually win the White House in November. Then there were the star attractions on stage: Kamala Harris, formally ratified as the party’s presidential nominee in an online delegate vote overnight, just over two weeks after Joe Biden’s decision to step aside. With her stood Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, Ms Harris’s newly announced vice-presidential running-mate. Not since 1968 has one of America’s two major parties switched out a presidential nominee so late in a campaign. On current evidence of the move’s effects, they might consider doing so more often.
Explore more
More from United States
![](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240914_USP508.jpg)
Kamala Harris makes Donald Trump look out of his depth
The presidential debate was a success for the vice-president
![](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240914_USP506.jpg)
Astrologers are predicting the result of America’s election
Spreading their forecasts through social media can be lucrative—and divisive
![](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240907_USP510.jpg)
How Boston became the safest big city in America
Murder is declining across the country, but Boston has led the way
Checks and Balance newsletter: The enduring game of political ads in America
Lessons from Pennsylvania
Why Kamala Harris has the advantage in debating Donald Trump
She’s better at it
Where is Kamala Harris’s convention bounce?
And what its absence means for election forecasting