JOHN McCAIN took centre stage at his party's national convention last night, accepting his party's nomination at the end of a week dominated by his controversial choice of Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.
The stage at St Paul's Xcel Energy Centre was rebuilt to resemble a town hall meeting, with Mr McCain surrounded by the delegates who confirmed his nomination a day earlier.
Before the Arizona senator spoke, a biographical film focused on his story of personal heroism, which included five years as a Vietnamese prisoner of war, and supporters praised his record of public service.
"Where some people see adversity, John McCain accepts a challenge. Where some people see a crisis, John McCain creates an opportunity. Where some people see defeat, John McCain insists on victory," said former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge.
Some Republican strategists predicted earlier yesterday that Mr McCain, who seldom shines in set-piece speeches, would be unable to match the electrifying performance Ms Palin delivered on Wednesday.
The Alaska governor's 36-minute speech energised delegates with sharp attacks on Barack Obama and a spirited defence of her own qualifications to be vice-president. Thirty-seven million people watched Ms Palin's speech on television, almost as many as saw Mr Obama's speech in Denver last week, and McCain campaign strategists expressed satisfaction yesterday that she had established herself as a formidable new figure on the political stage.
"I have no doubt that governor Sarah Palin today is a household name," campaign manager Rick Davis told reporters.
Mr Obama's team dismissed the euphoria surrounding Ms Palin's speech, claiming that she had misrepresented the Democratic nominee's record and questioning her claim to be an outsider. "There wasn't one thing that she said about Obama or what he's proposing that is true," said chief strategist David Axelrod.
"For someone who makes that point that she's not from Washington, she looked very much like she would fit in very well there."
Democratic vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden, who will face Ms Palin in a debate next month, praised her delivery and described her as a tough opponent but criticised the content of the speech. "Last night, what we heard was a lot of partisan attacks and no real solutions," he said. I didn't hear a single word about healthcare. I didn't hear a single word about education. I didn't hear a single substantive thing."
Mr Biden acknowledged that some media commentary about Ms Palin had been sexist and he insisted that any discussion of her family life, including her 17-year-old daughter's pregnancy, was off-limits for the Obama campaign.
"Every family has difficulty as they're raising their children. I think the way she's handled it has been absolutely exemplary," he said.
Mr Obama has enjoyed a six-point lead over Mr McCain since the end of the Democratic convention in Denver last week, but Republicans are confident they will receive a boost following this week's events in St Paul.