Palin's speech earns Republicans' praise

In a speech weaving together humour, toughness and a folksy touch, Sarah Palin, the Republican Governor of the US state of Alaska, has accepted her party's nomination as vice-presidential running mate to John McCain.

She introduced her family, stressed her small town credentials and joked about her self-professed "hockey mum" reputation, but held out a promise of toughness on key issues from America's dependence on foreign oil to the pursuit of terrorists.

"I will be honoured to accepted your nomination for vice-president of the United States," she told the exuberant crowd, after extended applause welcomed her to the stage.

Her appearance softer than in recent days, with her hair no longer bundled up, Ms Palin praised Senator McCain as honest and courageous.

She said she accepted "the privilege of serving" with him "against confident opponents at a crucial hour" for the US.

Senator McCain "knows how tough fights are won" she said, noting that just a year ago, experts had written him off as the Republicans' nominee for the presidency.

"With their usual certitude they told us that all was lost, that there was no hope for this candidate who said he would rather lose an election than see his country lose a war," Ms Palin said.

Family support

Displaying her credentials in understanding America's international challenges, Ms Palin introduced her son, Track, who stood in the crowd as his mother told delegates that he was due on September 11 to deploy to Iraq.

She went on to introduce her sons and daughters, all of whom were in the audience, and to indirectly answer the critics who have targeted the conservative, pro-life governor over the pregnancy of her unmarried teenage daughter.

"Our family has the same ups and downs as any other, the same challenges and the same joys," she said.

She also introduced her "perfectly beautiful baby boy", Trig, who has Down's syndrome, pledging to be an advocate for families of special needs children in the White House.

"For years you've sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters," she said.

Seeking to further seal her family credentials, she introduced her husband Todd, saying she met him in high school. She won yet more applause by saying "he's still my guy".

She stressed her small town credentials, her own example for women striving for advancement and her record in cutting and vetoing what she said was wasteful spending during her tenures as both a mayor and a governor.

Delegates warmed enthusiastically to Ms Palin's messages, showing genuine appreciation for a speech with some arguably unorthodox content, and dissolving into laughter when she joked that the difference between hockey mums and a pit bull was lipstick.

Media booed

Ms Palin also launched a stinging attack on the media over what she said were its claims that being outside the Washington establishment was reason enough to disqualify her from high office, prompting the crowd to offer extended boos for the media.

As she continued, a woman holding up her hand a gesturing with a peace sign was removed from the floor of the convention by security men.

In an attack portraying her Democratic opponents as two-faced, Ms Palin said Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama would never talk about the great merits of small town people to their faces, but lambast those same people in another forum for their commitment to God and guns.

Ms Palin promised that being an Alaskan, she knew just how much American oil and gas was available to replace expensive foreign oil.

She ridiculed Senator Obama with imagery of a man trying to save the world rather than serve America and she returned to Senator McCain's strengths.

"If character is the measure in this election, and hope the same, and change the goal we share, then I ask you to join our cause; join our cause and help America elect a great man as the next president of the United States," she said.

Her aggressively delivered speech ran to 40 minutes, half an hour longer than usual for a vice-presidential nominee.

It culminated in an appearance by Senator McCain, who dismissed critics of his choice of Ms Palin with the rhetorical question to the crowd: "Aren't you glad we chose the right candidate?"