The big deal isn't just the success, though it is that of course, it's that there's general cultural acceptance that a woman VP is not actually some sort of freakishly weird thing, even if all the barriers to that have not been removed. I grew up in an era when it was. Sure Mondale had Ferraro, but coverage then was always LOOK, A WOMAN! HOW WEIRD! (also, Ferraro was bad).
I have no idea how it would have impacted the campaign, but I was surprised that Trump and associates didn't go full metal racism-and-misogyny on her. Even the conservative C-listers seemed to mostly not go there. I was almost frightened to mention her at times (irrationally), as if one little push could send the whole thing into a dark disgusting place.