Along with many others, both inside and outside the McCain camp, Graham expects her to dazzle.
"My gut is that she'll do very, very well, given how she's done thus far," he said.
That's as safe a bet as possible in a presidential campaign year with seemingly boundless capacity to surprise.
Palin has performed almost flawlessly so far in public appearances with the man who plucked her from the continent's farthest reaches and presented her as America's next vice president. McCain, who seems as energized by her as others in his party, has been cheering Palin on and planting appreciative kisses on her cheek when she finishes speaking.
Confident and assured in front of a crowd, Palin appears more polished than many seasoned politicians, including McCain, when it comes to using a prompter, the essential speechmaking tool that allows candidates to read their text without ever glancing down at notes.
She makes it look easy, in part, because of communications skills developed years ago as a local TV sports anchor.
According to Rick Davis, the McCain campaign manager, the timing for her speech could not be better. He calls it the most important one she'll deliver in the '08 campaign.
"It gives Governor Palin a unique opportunity to have a conversation with the American public," he said, "and a wonderful opportunity to bring her into focus."
The stakes are high: In the latest national Gallup tracking poll, McCain is running eight points behind Democrat Barack Obama, who hit 50 percent yesterday for the first time. Those numbers suggest that the modest lift in the polls that McCain got from picking Palin might have subsided.
Gallup also measured initial public reaction to her selection and found that voters considered Palin less qualified than any vice presidential candidate since Dan Quayle to serve as president if it became necessary.
Republican politicians say she needs to convince voters that she has the stature to be at the top of an administration in Washington.
Yesterday, McCain's campaign was continuing to issue news releases defending Palin's record as chief executive of her state. Still, she has less national experience than any presidential or vice presidential candidate in decades.
She was sworn in as Alaska's first female governor 21 months ago. Before that, she served two terms as mayor and two terms on the City Council of Wasilla, her hometown of fewer than 9,000 people. She has also chaired the state's energy board.
