Republican John McCain officially accepts the nomination to be his party’s presidential candidate tonight, but many in St. Paul, Minnesota, are saying he already has been eclipsed by his running mate, Sarah Palin, whose speech September 3 was praised by delegates and many in the news media.

A nearly record-setting 37.2 million people watched Palin’s speech on television, 1.1 million fewer than watched Barack Obama’s speech. In comparison, 24 million watched Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden’s speech.

Throughout the week, party leaders have called the Alaskan governor a “reformer,” and “a woman of action.” Republicans say she has more executive experience than Obama or Biden, who, as senators, have never run a city or state. (See “Republican Leaders Call Sarah Palin a Reformer.”)

Democrats are criticizing one particular point in Palin’s speech: “I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer except that you have actual responsibilities.” Obama launched his career as a community organizer and his supporters argue that that type of work has proven his leadership ability.

What do you think? Can community organizing work prepare one for governmental leadership? And what do you think of Sarah Palin – do you agree with McCain that she’s the right person for the job of vice president? Post your comments below.

With Hurricane Gustav degraded to a tropical depression, Republicans moved into a full schedule of convention events on Tuesday, including scheduled speeches by Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman (a former Democratic vice presidential nominee turned Independent who campaigns regularly for John McCain) and President Bush (who will speak via satellite.)

Republicans seem excited to have their convention back on track. “Republicans at this convention are much more excited than Republicans have been in the last couple of years,” Missouri Representative Roy Blunt told journalists at the Foreign Press Center September 1. “That’s a good thing.”

One of the reasons they are excited is McCain’s selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate. One sign that they think she is a good pick: John McCain raised $47 million in August; $10 million came in since Palin’s candidacy was announced August 29. (See “John McCain Chooses Alaska Governor as Running Mate.”)

Inside the convention hall and across the United States, there have been many discussions about Palin, who was not a well-known politician prior to August 29. Most Americans are learning about her personal and political history for the first time this week and many are eagerly awaiting her acceptance speech September 3.

Party leaders like Blunt believe McCain’s pick shows his commitment to bring change to Washington.

“When John McCain reached out to pick the first person that you know would absolutely be in a McCain administration, that’s a pretty bold decision to go all the way to Fairbanks, Alaska. That’s as about as far from Washington, D.C., as you can get and still have somebody who lives in the United States,” Blunt said.

Some Americans were puzzled that McCain chose a first-term governor to be his running mate when he has criticized Barack Obama’s lack of experience. Matthew Dowd, a political analyst for ABC News and chief strategist to the Bush/Cheney campaign in 2004, told journalists at the same briefing that when the general election picks up speed after the Republican convention, Americans will not hear much about experience.

“This will be a fight over who is the ‘change’ candidate, not over who is the most experienced candidate … which is why this whole convention will be set up about reform, as opposed to experience,” Dowd said.