I think that went pretty well, don’t you?

After all the hand-wringing about how Kamala Harris has been avoiding extended media interviews, the Democratic presidential nominee did a solid job tonight in her sit-down with CNN’s Dana Bash.

Did we get a deep dive into Harris’s policy positions? No we did not. But that was not the point of this interview. This was about Harris introducing herself to Americans in her new role — and proving a few basic things to everyone.

Let’s zip through just a few of the things Harris needed to do — and how she did:

For starters, the vice president fielded awkward questions without ducking them and without getting flustered. This included multiple inquires about why, since 2019, her positions have changed on issues like fracking and border security.

Her response was that her values have not changed, but her experience as vice president has given her a different perspective and made her appreciate the importance of achieving consensus. You may not like that answer, but she was confident and unapologetic in explaining herself.

The not getting flustered part was as important as the answers themselves. She absolutely needed to avoid giving any opening for the MAGA trolls — who are obsessed with machismo and performative toughness — to accuse her of being overly emotional or weak or easy to rattle. Amusingly, Bash looked more flustered than Harris did for most of the interview.

Moving right along: Harris needed to come across as serious and thoughtful and, well, presidential.

Mission accomplished. She consistently struck a tone that was reassuring and self-assured. She was serious and at times even a bit salty — as she was when contrasting the decency of Joe Biden with the utter indecency of Donald Trump. But she never seemed nasty or even super angry, which was also vital, since women simply cannot get away with that like men can. I’m sorry, but you know it’s true.

Bonus: She looked the part. Dignified. Put together. Confident. Steady. All the things.

Even as she projected strength and seriousness, Harris needed to give people a sense of her as a real person, to let them peek behind the curtain a bit. Her story about the morning that Biden called to tell her that he was stepping aside did this nicely. There were baby nieces and pancakes and bacon involved. What could be more American?

Does Harris still have questions to answer and concerns to allay? Yep. The self-defining is not yet done. But this felt like a good first effort.