I hate to rain on the parade, but there is something fake about this business of the joy — and not just joy but JOY as Oprah told us last week — surrounding the elevation of Kamala Harris. The problem is that no one is talking about what the joy is really based on and how it could let us down in the end.

Certainly, part of the joy comes from Democrats’ relief at having a candidate who is mentally alert and has at least a chance of winning the election. But that isn’t all of it, and some thought experiments show why.

Imagine if after President Biden stepped down, the party had united around a white male candidate. If the person accepting the nomination last week had been Gavin Newsom, Beto O’Rourke or even Tim Walz, there would have been some joy, sure. But not of the theatrical degree we saw in Chicago. Not too many people in the audience would be crying with joy as they did for Harris.

Let’s take it further. Suppose the nominee were a white woman. There would surely be some joy, of the Hillary vintage. Some, but not like in Chicago. Tearful beaming elation for Amy Klobuchar? Gretchen Whitmer? Kirsten Gillibrand? I really doubt it.

That’s because a good deal of the joy people keep talking about is a result of one fact: that Harris is Black.

Yes, she’s got a big laugh and a casual affect and she seems to be having a good time. But this isn’t anything close to the whole story. Don’t believe me? Run the thought experiment again, but this time picture Stacey Abrams or Michelle Obama accepting the party’s nomination. It’s a lot easier to picture those same joyful tears, isn’t it.