Joe Biden’s well-delivered speech, studded with moving evocations of personal tragedies he’s endured and overcome, wound up the Democrats’ 42nd, and first virtual, national convention. Broadcast and cable ratings suggest viewership was down compared to 2016, part of a long-term trend, although no one is sure how many were watching (or will watch) on streaming video or over the internet. Media gushing about Biden’s speech, or those of the Obamas, seems to me to be over the top, but overall, this was an effective performance.

But with, perhaps, some caveats.