Closing out her first day on the campaign trail as the official Republican vice-presidential nominee, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin got a warm welcome Friday evening at a campaign rally in this Detroit suburb.
Palin introduced Republican presidential nominee John McCain to the thousands of supporters packed into the Freedom Hill Amphitheatre in Macomb County. The ticket campaigned earlier Friday in Wisconsin, one day after the close of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul.
A few dozen protesters demonstrated outside the venue earlier in the evening, many holding anti-war signs.
"John McCain's record shows once again that he won't stand up for Michigan working families," Progress Michigan Executive Director Dan Farough said in a written statement.
At the covered amphitheater, Palin delivered remarks similar to her speech to the party convention on Wednesday, highlighting her record in Alaska and praising McCain as a "maverick."
Palin did add a few local touches for the enthusiastic crowd, noting that her eldest son Track spent much of his senior year attending a Michigan high school. Palin told the crowd that she owes many thanks to the Wolverine State -- and earned a cheer when she mentioned Track's love of hockey.
"Michigan, you took care of my boy," she said. Now, Palin added, he will help take care of them -- he will soon be deployed to Iraq.
When McCain took the stage, he commended Palin, calling her "this great governor."
"I can't wait, I can't wait to introduce her to Washington, D.C.," he said, before launching into a speech touching on the tough economy in Michigan.
The Friday event was Michigan's first chance to see Palin in person since McCain picked her as his running mate a week ago. An enormous cheer went up as Palin's name was read over the loudspeakers, dwarfing the reaction to McCain's name as the candidates took the stage just after 6 p.m. to Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger."
Many in the crowd said the 44-year-old governor, a conservative and self-described "hockey mom," has energized the Republican ticket going into the fall campaign against Democratic nominee Barack Obama.
"I think until she came along it was a rather humdrum campaign," said Marvin Lee, 65, a retired financial planner from Commerce Township. "But from the moment I saw her, she blew me away."
Sister Maria Fatima said her order -- the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist -- doesn't usually get involved in politics. But she and about 40 additional nuns came from Ann Arbor to the rally Friday, forming a distinctive cheering section in their white habits.
"We're here because we'd like to support Gov. Palin. We're so excited she's on the ticket," the 23-year-old Fatima said, citing Palin's strong anti-abortion views.
Mary Gawlik, a high school teacher from Rochester, said she initially suspected McCain chose Palin as a political play for female votes. "But the more I listen to her, I think she's going to be a great choice," the 50-year old said.
Janet Smith, 41, of Flint Township in Genesee County described herself as a moderate Democrat who supported New York Sen. Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary. But after she was defeated by Obama, a senator from Illinois, Smith switched her vote to McCain.
"I like that John McCain is a moderate Republican and was able to cross party lines" in the Senate, she said.
Smith, a special-education teacher, said she thinks Palin will help attract female voters, especially after her speech at the party convention.
"I personally loved her speech. Even though she has some views I do not agree with, there are other things I do agree with," Smith said.
The Republican ticket's visit to Macomb County, the proverbial home of conservative "Reagan Democrats," highlights the importance of Michigan and its 17 electoral votes in the presidential election. A Washington-based group that funds Republican campaigns, Freedom's Defense Fund, said Friday it will spend about $25,000 to air ads in the county tying Obama to disgraced Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
Obama and running mate Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware visited Michigan last week following their party's convention in Denver. They spoke to about 17,500 people in Battle Creek on Sunday. Obama also campaigned the next day in Detroit and Monroe.