Republican presidential nominee John McCain accepted his party's nomination Thursday night with a speech that portrayed the Vietnam veteran as a bipartisan reformer bent on changing the status quo of Washington.
"In my life, no success has come without a good fight. And this nomination wasn't any different," he told the Republican National Convention.
Reaching out to undecided voters, McCain asked "for the opportunity to earn your trust. I intend to earn it. I will not let you down."
The Arizona senator, 72, who has been criticized by some for his speech-making abilities, had the speaking podium remade into the shape of a "T" to allow him to get closer to delegates.
His speech was interrupted early on by demonstrators, who McCain described as "ground noise" and "static." Flashing the 'V' peace sign with their fingers, the protesters were quickly removed by security guards from the floor of the Xcel Energy Centre in St. Paul, Minn.
McCain carried on with a brief introduction of his running mate, Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, whose speech on Wednesday night was hailed by many as a rousing success.
Together, he said, the two were ready to shake up the scene in Washington.
"She stands up for what's right and she doesn't let anyone tell her to sit down," McCain said of the Alaska governor.
"And let me offer an advance warning to the old, big-spending, do-nothing, me-first, country-second Washington crowd: Change is coming."
McCain made only passing reference to current U.S. President George W. Bush, and not even by name. Bush, who has spent two terms as leader of the U.S., has hardly been mentioned during the four-day convention and delivered only a brief speech to delegates Tuesday via satellite.
The presidential hopeful also took the opportunity to criticize his fellow Republicans, particularly those who ran Congress for a dozen years before they were voted out of office in 2006.
"We were elected to change Washington, and we let Washington change us," McCain said.
Prior speeches at the convention about McCain have focused on his reputation of being a "maverick" politician and his years of experience in Washington. But despite his tenure as a four-term senator, McCain has positioned himself as the agent for change.
"I've been called a maverick," he said. "Sometimes it's meant as a compliment and sometimes it's not. What it really means is I understand who I work for."
"I don't work for a party. I don't work for a special interest. I don't work for myself. I work for you."
Co-operative approach
McCain told delegates that he, unlike the Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, has a history of working with other party members to get things done.
"Again and again, I've worked with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed. That's how I will govern as president," McCain said.
He promised to "reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again."
"I have that record and the scars to prove it," McCain said. "[Illinois] Senator Obama does not."
McCain also described how his policies sharply contrast those of his Democratic rival, saying he would keep taxes low and cut them where possible. He also pledged to cut government spending and free the U.S. from its dependence on foreign oil.
He made a lengthy vow to make schools accountable to parents and students rather than "unions and entrenched bureaucrats."
On the issue of the Iraq war, McCain reiterated the oft-repeated line that he was a staunch supporter of the troop surge — to the extent that "I'd rather lose an election than see my country lose a war."
Patriotism shaped in captivity
Much media focus has been on the five years McCain spent in a North Vietnamese prison. Extolling the virtue of his age and the experience that comes with it, McCain himself touched on the issue during his 40-minute speech, describing how it shaped his patriotism.
"I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else's," he said. "I was never the same again. I wasn't my own man anymore. I was my country's."
The comments drew a standing ovation from the crowd.
"Fight with me. Fight with me. Fight with me. Fight for what's right for our country," he said at the climax of his speech.
It's unknown whether McCain's address will be able to match the television viewership numbers of Obama, who spoke last week to an estimated 84,000 people in an outdoor football stadium in Denver.
Obama had 38.4 million viewers on the commercial networks, topping 40 million with PBS and C-SPAN added in. But McCain was competing Thursday night with the National Football League's season-opening game.
Millions saw Palin's speech
Palin's speech Wednesday night also generated 40 million viewers. Nielsen Media Research estimated 37.2 million people watched Palin on either ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News Channel or MSNBC. PBS estimated it had four million viewers for the speech.
Palin, who was a surprise pick as McCain's running mate and not widely known to the general public, has been at the centre of intense media scrutiny — largely thanks to the recent announcement that her unmarried daughter, 17, is pregnant.
Taking centre stage of the Republican convention, Palin delivered several hard swings at Obama, as well as members of the media who have questioned her political and personal background.
"Victory in Iraq is finally in sight; he wants to forfeit," she said of the Democratic presidential nominee.
"Al-Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America; he's worried that someone won't read them their rights."
Palin's address followed a fiery speech by former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, who also slammed Obama for his lack of experience.
