Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin kicked off a two-month battle for the White House yesterday with a promise that "change is coming," a theme co-opted from their Democratic rivals.
Mr McCain touted his credentials as a reformer and portrayed himself as the real agent of change in the race against Barack Obama as he accepted his party's presidential nomination in an arena filled with supporters waving blue Country First signs.
With the conventions and the selections of running mates out of the way, the next big campaign milestone is the first of three debates, on September 26 in Oxford, Mississippi.
Ms Palin, the Alaska governor, meets Mr Obama No. 2, Delaware Senator Joe Biden, in a debate of vice presidential candidates on October 2 in St Louis, Missouri.
Mr McCain and Ms Palin flew out of Minnesota immediately after the convention ended on Thursday night, heading to Wisconsin for a morning campaign event and later in the day to Michigan and Colorado and today to New Mexico.
Mr Obama yesterday campaigned in Pennsylvania.
Following are excerpts from Mr McCain's speech:
"My fellow Americans, when I'm president, we're going to embark on the most ambitious national project in decades. We are going to stop sending €490 billion a year to countries that don't like us very much. We'll attack the problem on every front. We will produce more energy at home. We will drill new wells offshore, and we'll drill them now. My friends, we'll build more nuclear power plants. We'll develop clean coal technology. We'll increase the use of wind, tide, solar and natural gas. We'll encourage the development and use of flex fuel, hybrid and electric automobiles.
"I'm very proud to have introduced our next vice president to the country. But I can't wait until I introduce her to Washington. And let me just offer an advance warning to the old, big-spending, do-nothing, me-first, country-second crowd: Change is coming.
"I know some of you have been left behind in the changing economy and it often seems your government hasn't even noticed. Government assistance for unemployed workers was designed for the economy of the 1950s. That's going to change on my watch. My opponent promises to bring back old jobs by wishing away the global economy. We're going to help workers who've lost a job that won't come back, find a new one that won't go away.
"Russia's leaders, rich with oil wealth and corrupt with power, have rejected democratic ideals and the obligations of a responsible power. They invaded a small, democratic neighbour to gain more control over the world's oil supply, intimidate other neighbours, and further their ambitions of reassembling the Russian empire. And the brave people of Georgia need our solidarity and our prayers.
"As President I will work to establish good relations with Russia so we need not fear a return of the Cold War. But we can't turn a blind eye to aggression and international lawlessness that threatens the peace and stability of the world and the security of the American people. "I'm not running for president because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need.
"Finally, a word to Senator (Barack) Obama and his supporters. We'll go at it over the next two months. That's the nature of these contests, and there are big differences between us. But you have my respect and admiration. Despite our differences, much more unites us than divides us. We are fellow Americans, and that's an association that means more to me than any other."