What a turnaround story. Democrats meeting at their National Convention in Chicago showed President Joe Biden some love, yet they also showed him the “exit.”

Democrats feared a divisive national convention with multiple presidential contenders and the possibility of rioting pro-Palestinian protesters in the streets of the Windy City. This didn’t happen.

Humorist Will Rogers allegedly joked that, “I’m a member of no organized party — I’m a Democrat.” But not this time. Democrats in 2024 are notably well-organized into a “big tent” political party with diversity of all kinds.

The Democrats just succeeded in staging the best national convention in their history. In several ways, they outdid the impressive Republican National Convention, which was held last month in Milwaukee.

Here are our reflections on notable events:

Kamala Harris, the official Democratic nominee, had to introduce herself to the American people but separate herself from incumbent President Joe Biden. She also had to emphasize that she has impressive credentials, and that she is a patriotic, freedom-loving American.

Most important, she had to show she could be a tough, strong, and vigilant commander-in-chief.

She did all that in a crisp, elegant acceptance speech. Compared to Donald Trump’s long-winded, angry and inept acceptance talk at the Republican National Convention, her speech was a home run with the bases loaded.

Harris spoke with joy, humor and a toughness and self-confidence that few Americans have seen before. She has come a long way from her unsuccessful and ineffective race for the Democratic nomination for president four years ago in 2020.

She has learned and grown, and she looks like she will be a more formidable competitor for Trump than Hillary Clinton was in 2016. She will be a stronger candidate than the aging and ineffective communicator that Biden has become in the past year.

One news commentator likened Harris to a backup quarterback brought into salvage what looked like an embarrassing shellacking for the Democrats in the presidential election this November.

In almost fairy-tale style, Harris “came off the bench” and turned the game around, or at least scored enough touchdowns to tie the game midway through the fourth quarter.

Harris has staged the most notable political turnaround in modern American political history. Yet, it is still a work in progress, and it will be until the final votes are counted in the general election in November.

The Democratic National Convention celebrated the political party’s past leaders. Jimmy Carter’s grandson spoke of his grandfather looking forward to voting for Harris. Carter, who was president from 1977 to 1981, will turn 100 years old on Oct. 1.

John F. Kennedy was president from 1961 to 1963. His grandson proudly endorsed Harris for president in 2024.

Michelle Obama, wife of former President Barack Obama (2009-2017), gave one of the best talks at the convention. She urged party activists to organize and campaign effectively for Harris.

Barack Obama himself took to the convention stage, as did former President Bill Clinton (1993-2001). Both gave their blessings to the new presidential nominee and reinforced the “Yes, we can” spirit that permeated the convention.

Celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Steph Curry, Warriors coach Steve Kerr and Stevie Wonder endorsed Harris and entertained the convention delegates.

The Democratic vice presidential nominee, Tim Walz, was a surprise pick two weeks ago. He has become an unexpected asset for the Harris campaign. Tim Walz at times seems like a character out of a Frank Capra movie, especially when members of his old state championship high school team joined him on stage with their high school fight song.

The previous night at the convention, Walz gave a much better acceptance speech than vice presidential candidates usually give.

Democrats have done poorly among farmers and rural voters in recent elections. Waltz has rural roots and will try to help in the Midwest and in other parts of rural America. But that will be a tough challenge.

Democrats have increasingly become a suburban and urban-based party. Democrats also do poorly lately with working-class White males. Maybe Walz can help there? Maybe not.

Gus Walz, Tim Walz’s son, provided one of the most heartwarming, unscripted highlights at the convention. He was caught on camera as his father appeared on stage to accept the nomination. Gus Walz was standing up and crying and shouting “That’s my dad!” with a pride and joy that was unmistakable and enduring.

Gus, 17, has been diagnosed as having a nonverbal learning disorder. His emotional embrace of his father’s moment of success melted hearts and went viral on social media.

This was a well-staged convention. Television ratings were considerably higher than those for the Republican National Convention in July. Democrats did a lot of dancing and singing and did their best to reclaim patriotic values such as the American flag and an emphasis on liberty and freedom.

Simultaneously, Democrats worked hard to portray Trump as the bearer of a dark and fearful future for the United States.

Liberals and liberalism received considerable airtime. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave stemwinding liberal speeches. African American leaders such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton were present and celebrated. Union leaders got prime time.

But the convention also heard from Democrats who strongly support NATO, who resist the Russian attempt to take over Ukraine, and who want a stronger U.S. military. Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta gave an excellent speech calling for the U.S. to recommit itself to serving as a world leader.

A former Republican member of Congress, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, gave one of the convention’s memorable talks. He is still a Republican and a proud conservative, but he was censured by the Republican National Committee for his vote to impeach Trump in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Kinsinger told Democrats that Trump’s actions on Jan. 6 had “suffocated the soul of the Republican Party.” He said he supports Harris for president.

Kinsinger said he believes Democrats love their country and democracy just as much as Republicans do. “Democracy knows no party,” he concluded, and this election calls for a candidate who respects fair elections, a peaceful transfer of power, and respect for the law.

Most of the Democratic convention was understandably aimed at motivating the party’s base. But the talks from  Panetta and Kinzinger were deliberately aimed at crucial swing voters who will decide the final vote in this November’s election.

Democrats have surprisingly redefined this election. They say it is now Democratic optimism vs. Republican pessimism, reproductive rights vs. anti-abortion and pro-Ukraine involvement vs. isolationism.

And Harris-Walz ticket almost surely will get a positive bounce in the public opinion polls, at least in the short run. Trump may get some bounce of his own from the surprise endorsement of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who dropped out of the race on Friday.

The Democrats have turned this thing around — unexpectedly and joyously.

But this is likely to be a highly contested and probably ugly presidential election race. Democrats still need to convince independent voters and fiscal conservatives that they understand the perils of increased immigration at the southern border and a national debt that is dangerously high.

Democrats, as we saw under Biden, are spenders. Yes, that spending is important when it comes to building bridges, encouraging manufacturing, and giving basic subsidies for cancer cures and quantum computing. But fiscal integrity is also a national priority.

Few observers thought Democrats could pass the torch to Harris this effectively and then make us so quickly forget about Biden. There also were unrealized predictions that there would be protracted riots in the streets of Chicago over the Israeli-Hamas situation.

But Democrats avoided street riots with their previously unheralded backup quarterback, Harris. She delivered.

But that is now in the past. The main political season, the campaign to win the November presidential election, is just about to begin.