A party convention is no fit place for the non-believers, or even the agnostic. While the delegates, on hand to cast the votes that seal the presidential nomination, are not typically elected officials, they are not exactly on par with the average American in terms of political knowledge of engagement. Like a week-long music festival or religious holiday, these affairs cater to the faithful. And lo, at this party, the diehards were rewarded for their devotion with appearances from celebrities, a myriad of mostly unremarkable political speeches, and—thanks to a passing of the torch that few imagined would happen when this presidential campaign began—a new confidence in their party’s electoral chances in November.

The atmosphere of the Democratic National Convention this week went beyond mere enthusiasm—it ventured on rapturous. Attendees spoke of the overwhelming “joy” of the occasion—a term that has been adopted by Harris and her supporters. At times, the affair resembled a megachurch worship service, with political sermons and musical performances regularly bringing the crowd to their feet. (At some points, actual preachers did take the stage, such as Senator Raphael Warnock and Reverend Al Sharpton.)

To some, it was more like a music festival. As one viral tweet posited, “the DNC is just Coachella for Poli-Sci majors.” The star power of the DNC threatened to outshine the lights of the United Center, the sports arena and concert venue that hosted the evening events. Musicians like John Legend, Pink and Stevie Wonder performed, while celebrities such as Lil Jon and Eva Longoria participated in the roll call of states announcing their support for Harris. Oprah Winfrey made a surprise appearance, replicating an iconic meme in her support for “Kamalaaaa Haaaarris!” When Harris herself took the stage on Thursday, the already-deafening cheers of the crowd verged on ear-splitting—as she accepted the nomination, the decibel level was almost painful. Attendees who had been unable to find space in the arena watched from just outside the doors, trying to sneak a peek at the nominee.

Deon Canon, a 27-year-old delegate from Wisconsin, compared his experience at the DNC to another gathering of the faithful that he attended two years ago: Anime Midwest, the annual convention for anime fans held in Chicago. “It was just excitement. People wearing their shirts; people happy just to be there, just to be in that space, going to different panels, going to the different events,” recalled Canon. “It........

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