A look inside Democratic campaign events argues the party leaned on celebrity cameos to hide weak crowds, a bad sign for how the party connects with voters.

• Kamala Harris struggled to draw crowds, so stars like Megan Thee Stallion, Christina Aguilera, and Usher were booked to fill rooms.
• The celebrities were used as decoration rather than given a real case to make for the candidate.
• A speech laying out actual positions would have landed better than a performance.
• The same problem hit Joe Biden's primary events, where back walls were moved in to squeeze the crowd together and cameras were aimed only at the front rows.
• The fix became overcorrection: bigger names, same empty enthusiasm underneath.

Outlook: Expect campaigns to keep renting star power to mask thin turnout, and voters to keep noticing.