I feel like – apart from her own solid qualities and qualifications – Harris instantly benefited from the Biden quote:
Don’t compare me to the Almighty. Compare me to the alternative.
Those were really dark days for Democratic 2025 hopes after that debate. I feel like a lot of us saw what we wanted to see in many/most of his appearances that followed, and that some (notably, there were vocal “Emperor (still) has no clothes” voices here) unrealistically discounted the notion that Biden’s post-debate engagements – while often encouraging – weren’t the crucible that the debate was.
Maybe some of our relief and elation over Harris is an unspoken realization that we likely harbored profound angst, and had surely dodged a big, wizened bullet.
If Harris derives any benefit at all from any measure of that, it’s all to the good.
Which doesn’t mean we’re in the clear. These things tend to reload 
My hope is that Harris has the best handlers that PAC money can buy, and that they work with her daily to be The Very Best Candidate She Could Possibly Ever Be.