What a show, the Democratic convention! OMG those Americans sure know how to produce something spectacular. In only four weeks!

I started by watching bits and pieces, was drawn in hour by long hour – I’d sigh, here’s another governor, and then he or she would be riveting, what a parade of eloquent talent — and by the last night didn’t want to miss a moment. I missed Stevie Wonder, for God’s sake, and much else. For a brief moment last night, I felt sorry I’d just renounced my American citizenship. When I did, only a few months ago, who could have predicted this miraculous wave of good sense, decency, and profound hope taking over?

The convention was phenomenal. So much went into it. Choosing the themes over four long nights. Deciding, for example, they were going to feature ordinary Americans who’d endured gun violence or abortion restrictions — how did they find exactly the right people, help write their speeches, rehearse them, get them there? No one who spoke seemed nervous, so they’d been well prepared. Even, for heaven’s sake, Kamala’s very young nieces — adorable.

So much more — the superb short films. The intro music, just right for every speaker, how did they do that? Including getting permission from musicians like Beyoncé, Jon Batiste, and Neil Young. The set and lighting, the tech, OMG, the tech, all those mikes with as far as I could see barely a glitch. The stuff under the seats — every time the camera scanned the crowd, they were holding different signs and banners.

The atmosphere was raucous and, yes, joyful. That was the watchword: joy, and it was there plentifold. But mostly, the speeches spoke of everything that matters, or almost everything. My daughter I’m sure is incensed more attention wasn’t paid to the war in Gaza, although several people spoke of it, including Kamala at the end, but there was no Palestinian speaker. Perhaps not enough about climate change, or maybe I missed that. Otherwise, they covered a lot of ground and produced surprise after surprise, including, on the last night, members of the exonerated Central Park Five, brave Gabby Gifford, still recovering from an assassination attempt, and Adam Kinzinger, one of several principled Republicans who spoke throughout. And they didn’t pull any punches about D. Trump and his party, no more Mr. Nice Guy, including in Kamala’s speech where she went after him hard. As he deserves.

Watching it reminded me of the euphoria I felt when Obama was nominated, except better, much better. It seems the Dems have learned from the years of stalemate for cautious, polite President Obama, who thought he could work with the brutal die-hards across the aisle, and from the gut-wrenching defeat of 2016. Dems have reclaimed American patriotism, almost to a nauseating degree to this Canadian — why do they keep saying, “Only in America!” as if in no other country on earth could someone rise from humble beginnings to great success? But it’s okay, that’s how Americans roll. The Dems have re-appropriated the USA chant, the flag, the anthem, sung in 46-part harmony by the wonderful Chicks. They produced war veteran after hardened war veteran — no weaklings, these.

One of the most marvellous things is the new vision offered, not just of a tough, successful, yet compassionate, warm, and open woman, but of the men beside her. Both Coach Walz and Doug Emhoff are men standing second to a powerful woman, unthreatened, supportive, and proud. Gold.

Kamala’s speech was masterful, about her mother, her upbringing, years as a prosecutor, values. How is it possible to be so relaxed as you give the speech of a lifetime in front of many millions of people, potentially saving not just your party, but the planet? And yet she was relaxed, beautiful, radiant. Extraordinary. My only complaint — she didn’t mention her five years in Montreal, the Canadian influence surely key in shaping the exceptional human being she is today.

I know, cold reality will hit and the euphoria will wear off. They were wrong not to allow a Palestinian speaker along with all the others. But for now, there’s much to celebrate. Women! Wise women, supported by kind, self-confident men, are taking over. And that, my friends, is very, very good news.