Can the Republican Party bring change to America?

Like the Democrats, the Republicans had a good week in the US presidential campaign. After the Democratic Party convention John McCain congratulated Barack Obama on his nomination in a television advert -which earned the Republican candidate a lot of respect - and then we had the surprise historic announcement of Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential candidate, a shrewd decision which made the news headlines. The Republican convention that followed was successful, the party remained united and both Palin's and McCain's speeches were warmly received.

McCain's choice of Palin, Governor of Alaska and mother of five, for the number two spot on the Republican ticket is both bold and clever, and energised the Republican party faithful as the convention was about to begin. Mrs Palin, a social conservative, appeals to that wing of the Republican Party which is so crucial to a McCain victory.

Her strong belief in family values and anti-abortion stance is just what the Republican conservatives want to hear from their party. She is also young, energetic, a good public speaker, Governor of an oil-rich state who is not perceived as being part of the 'Washington elite' but could attract support from uncommitted female voters.

Of course, Palin has weaknesses. She is young and inexperienced (but so is Obama, which neutralises the Democrats' criticism) and has only been a Governor for two years; before that she was a small town mayor.

As a spokesman for the Obama camp remarked: "Today John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency." This might be an exaggeration, and while experience is important for the job, no one single political office prepares a candidate for the presidency.

Governors and senators have different types of skills and experiences to prepare them for the presidency or vice presidency, but the fact remains that all first-term presidents are on a learning curve. Bill Clinton, for example, was the governor of the small state of Arkansas before he entered the Oval Office and struggled in the first year of his presidency. Today he is considered to be one of the greatest post-war American presidents.

The Republican convention was not blown off course either by Hurricane Gustav - which delayed the start of the event - or by the revelation that Palin's 17-year-old daughter was pregnant. In fact, Palin's honesty about the pregnancy - and the fact that her daughter was to keep the baby - earned her sympathy and support.

Palin was clearly the darling of the convention and her speech, which laid emphasis on her being just a regular small town "hockey mum" went down well with delegates, as did her defence of her track record in Alaska where she cut spending, balanced the budget and took on the lobbyists.

Speeches by all former Republican Party presidential candidates in support of the McCain-Palin ticket - and a particularly forceful one by former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani - ensured that the party emerged united after the convention. An additional boost to McCain was a speech delivered by independent Senator Joe Lieberman, a Democrat, who was Al Gore's running mate in the 2000 election, and who is backing McCain in this election.

Furthermore, the fact that George Bush - who is very unpopular - did not attend the convention but only addressed it through a video link - helped McCain distance himself from the President.

McCain's speech at the convention was well received, and although it was not particularly exceptional or forceful, it was statesmanlike. He vowed to bring about change in America and stressed that he would adopt a bipartisan approach to politics, saying: "Again and again, I've worked with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed."

He criticised his own party by saying that some Republicans have given into "the temptations of corruption" and criticised the Democrats over taxes and spending. He promised to create new jobs, improve education, reduce America's "dangerous dependence on foreign oil" by producing more energy at home and bring about tax cuts.

His speech was moderate in tone without too much fierce criticism of Obama, emphasising that he (McCain) was better qualified to lead the nation. McCain added he hated war and would use all America's tools - diplomatic, military and economic - to build a stable and enduring peace.

McCain had a good convention but now needs to convince the electorate at large that he is the better candidate to bring about change. This will not be easy since the current Republican administration is not popular and the economy is not doing well.

However, McCain has always emphasised his independence in the past and has differed from President Bush on issues such as climate change, tax cuts, immigration, the use of torture on terrorist suspects and the conduct of the immediate aftermath of the Iraqi war (although he supports the 'surge' in Iraq and the presence of US troops). "I don't work for a party," he told the Convention. "I don't work for a special interest. I don't work for myself. I work for you."

It is also true that McCain needs to perform a fine balancing act. He has to lead his party and at the same time keep his distance. Palin will earn him the support of the country's conservatives but could cost him the votes of some independents and moderates.

In the past he often criticised Bush's tax cuts but now says he not only wants to keep them but also wants to cut estate tax, something which will favour a very small section of the electorate.

McCain still has a lot of work to do, but the latest CBS News opinion poll - taken after Palin's speech - put him neck and neck with Obama, and that, in itself, is already a major accomplishment.