There is no middle

Mr. Trump and his fellow speakers over four days and nights did not pivot, did not shift, did not seek the notional sweet center of American public life. With few exceptions, the convention was aimed at stirring up true believers and wedding them to his cause. The emotional and cultural core of Mr. Trump’s campaign — reversal of, and even revenge for, perceived slights, disrespect and loss — were undisturbed and at times amplified before a prime-time audience. In Mr. Trump’s telling, the most powerful nation in the history of the world was a victim. And Mr. Trump was its avenger.

Trump has learned

While his message was unchanged, the packaging was updated. Mr. Trump spoke almost entirely from a script, and his unmistakable voice had been sculpted into something resembling a traditional tone for a nomination acceptance speech. Only once did he break the mask — when Mr. Trump, grimacing theatrically, mocked those who had said he could never win. The result was a Trump packaged for prime time.