I watched it too Buck, and although I'm sick of the half-truths and issues taken out of context by both conventions, I was encouraged.
I realize that Trump played on my distain for "illegal" immigration. It really is a pressing problem and not just a dog whistle. You can't hide the surge in illegal crossings during the Biden era, and the fact that bi-partisan border bill [which Trump crushed] was presented to congress in an election year.
I found it reassuring, and actually believe her pledge to work to pass that bill.
In a general sense, what I still find discouraging is the left's non-stop promises of "free stuff". For the majority of American people, the thought of paying off of student debt is abhorrent, no less than the striking down of Roe v Wade. I will always have a problem with the mindset that assigns no value to personal responsibility.
Although I didn't vote for him, I was proud that the US elected a black man as leader and accepted him as my president. I'll feel the same way about voting for a black woman, but I'm aware of the warm-fuzzy, virtue signaling attraction of another "cult of personality" endorsed by celebrities. The good thing is, Harris has more going for her than that. I want her to succeed. After the big lie, January 6 and the supreme court's overturning of Roe, I can't see the fence sitters voting for Trump. Hopefully that's all it will take.