Is all the hype real? It’s the uncomfortable question hanging over all the good vibes of the 2024 Democratic National Convention this week. And it’s one that Vanity Fair’s Claire Howorth and James Pogue, who is reporting from the ground, are more than willing to tackle on the latest episode of Inside the Hive. Pogue argues that while Kamala Harris and Tim Walz have electrified the party with a fresh new ticket, the event’s pomp and circumstance still feels “very produced,” with every Democrat in lockstep about how to communicate their message, avoiding any topic that might touch a nerve. Still, argues Howorth, there is an undeniable feeling that the party is getting its “swagger” back—and a sense that the Harris-Walz ticket might help Democrats “reclaim the idea of patriotism” from the GOP. “The Republicans have no problem being ultra-confident and cocky and smug,” she says, “and, you know, that’s not the worst stage direction for Democrats right now.”