ST PAUL (Minnesota): Republican vice-presidential hopeful Sarah Palin stepped on to the national stage yesterday, flaunting her small-town roots and savagely questioning the Democratic presidential candidate's lack of executive experience.

And by the time she had concluded her speech accepting her nomination, the Republicans were congratulating themselves on presidential contender John McCain's choice of running mate, believing they had caught the first scent of victory.

The party faithful gathered here for the Republican National Convention could not get enough of the multi-talented Mrs Palin - the hunting, fishing former beauty queen, the anti-abortionist mother of five, the parent-teacher association volunteer turned governor of Alaska, the largest US state.

It was a far cry from a week ago, when many were groping for words to describe Mr McCain's surprise pick, little known outside her remote state.

The high school basketball captain was on the offensive from the very start, moving swiftly from introducing her family to taking on Mr McCain's rival Barack Obama.

The Democratic contender is a Harvard-trained lawyer who prides himself on turning his back on plush Wall Street jobs to work as a lowly paid community organiser in Chicago neighbourhoods.

But Mrs Palin had this to say: 'Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown. And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves.

'I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organiser', except that you have actual responsibilities.'

The 44-year-old then launched a second line of attack, seizing on a widely reported remark Mr Obama made during what he thought was a private conversation early this year, when he mused on bitterness in small-town America.

'In small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening,' she said.

She was as scathing towards the US media, which has said she was vetted in haste and that her responsibilities as a mother of five would not allow her to be an effective vice-president.

'I've learnt quickly...if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified,' she said.

'But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country.'

But Mr Obama was her prime target and she went after him like the pit bull the self-declared 'hockey mum' likes to compare herself with.

She called him a man 'who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform', and expanded on Republican attempts to paint him as a rock-star celebrity of empty words.

'When the cloud of rhetoric has passed...when the roar of the crowd fades away...when the stadium lights go out, and those styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan?' she asked.

And Mrs Palin's ever-growing tribe of admirers was rejoicing. 'We've struck oil in Sarah,' said one sign.

'I never saw a crowd respond like this to a woman's speech,' said audience member Suzanne Cohen of Philadelphia.

'She came across as a very secure person. You trusted what she said, she attacked Obama in a healthy sort of way. She had a great sense of humour, I was never bored for a minute.'

'I wonder if her husband will relocate to Washington with her,' she added, certain the Republicans had a winning ticket.

And Ms Julie Stulman, a real estate agent from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, said: 'McCain lucked out. Until Sarah happened, I never thought he had a chance. A friend of mine who is a Clinton supporter called me to say she had been very impressed with the speech. I asked if she would consider switching her vote and she said she was waiting to see the vice-presidential debate.'

After the speech, Mr McCain joined Mrs Palin on stage and asked the crowd: 'Don't you think we made the right choice for the next vice-president of the United States?'

The crowd roared back its approval.

bhagya@sph.com.sg