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U.S. Sen. John McCain and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin stand on stage on day three of Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, 03 Sep 2008
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The Republican National Convention concludes later Thursday with a speech by the party's presidential nominee, Arizona Senator John McCain. VOA's Michael Bowman reports from St. Paul, Minnesota, where McCain aides say they hope to make the most of the senator's opportunity to address a national audience.
John McCain, who unsuccessfully battled then-Texas governor George Bush for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, will finally claim his long-awaited prize as the party's nominee, facing Democrat Barack Obama in the November election.
McCain, whose campaign was almost broke and written off by many political pundits just weeks before the start of the primary season, is expected to sound many conservative themes regarding the economy and national security. But he is also likely to attempt to recast the Republican Party's image to match his calls for reform and to reflect his reputation as a political maverick who is unafraid to challenge party orthodoxy on certain issues.
McCain speechwriter Mark Salter gave a preview of the address in a conference call.
"He is going to talk about where, how and why he wants to lead the country. He will get into some policy matters and some issue differences between him and Senator Obama," said Salter. "He will talk about his preparedness to lead, his record of reform, his plans to change the status quo in Washington as president. He will make an appeal for bipartisanship, and he will call on the entire political culture in Washington to start putting their country first instead of their own self interest."
The night's lineup of speakers includes Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, whom McCain is believed to have considered as a running mate, former Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge, and Cindy McCain, the Arizona senator's wife.
Wednesday, McCain's vice presidential pick, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, electrified the convention hall with a speech that skewered Democrats and the news media. Palin also provided a glimpse of her closely-knit family and her persona as an everyday mom who entered politics for reasons other than life-long ambitions of power.
Palin, who was little-known nationally before McCain tapped her as his running mate less than a week ago, is only the second woman ever named to a major party ticket, and the first for Republicans.
Revelations in recent days about her unwed pregnant daughter, and an ethics investigation in her home state, have grabbed recent headlines. But Palin, a social conservative, who opposes abortion and champions gun ownership rights, appeared undaunted as she spoke confidently on international issues, and said she would help fight to end U.S. reliance on Middle Eastern oil.
Other speakers unleashed sharp verbal attacks on Democratic candidate Obama, his qualifications as a potential commander-in-chief, and his policy recommendations for the nation.
In response, the Obama campaign decried what it called "McCain's attack squad of negative, cynical politicians."
Appearing on ABC's Good Morning America program, Obama's running mate, Senator Joe Biden, said Palin's address was noteworthy for what it did not contain.
"I did not hear a word or the phrase 'middle class' mentioned. I did not hear a word about health care. I did not hear a single word about what we are going to do about the housing crisis, college education, all the things the middle class is being burdened by now," said Biden.
McCain aides say the senator has been fine-tuning and rehearsing his nomination acceptance speech, which will be delivered in an almost town hall-style format, with a ramp extending from the stage into the crowd of delegates.
VOA News
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