Some analysts predicted that Palin's prime-time address last night could generate record ratings too.
For millions of Americans, it was the first chance to hear someone who has achieved, overnight, a rare form of celebrity for a politician: Photos of Palin and her family have already been plastered on magazine covers going on sale at supermarket checkout stands nationwide.
Woo independent middle
McCain tried to reinvigorate his maverick reputation by selecting a running mate in his own image. His pick also signaled a shift in strategy, by reinforcing the theme of reform while moving away from emphasizing McCain's years of experience.
Tonight is his last, best chance to drive home the reform message before the general election campaign begins in earnest.
Republicans are emphasizing reform in the belief that it's a key to attracting the independent voters who are up for grabs. These swing voters, who aren't tied to either party and say they're fed up with gridlock in Washington, are crucial to McCain's chances.
Because fewer voters this year identify with the Republican Party - a casualty of Bush's unpopularity and a weak economy - McCain will need to make up the difference by winning the battle for the independent middle.
McCain's campaign gave headline spots on the program to speakers who have praised their candidate's independence, including independent Democrat Joseph I. Lieberman and former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, a Republican moderate.
Now it's McCain's chance to close the sale.
Create a bounce
With the election less than two months away, McCain needs to stay within striking distance in the national polls. Any sign that the presidential contest is slipping away could diminish Republican enthusiasm and make it much harder for the party to get donors to open their wallets and keep the ticket competitive with Obama's Internet-fueled money machine.
The Arizona senator's speech is likely to be the single most important factor in determining the size of the convention "bounce" that a candidate typically receives.
Obama left Denver with a rising, eight-point lead that McCain immediately stopped by announcing his choice of Palin the next morning.
The latest Gallup national tracking poll shows McCain six points behind Obama. But Gallup noted that any convention bounce might not be evident until this weekend and that Obama's numbers didn't go up until the Denver convention was nearly done.
