U.S. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin accepted vice presidential nomination and touted her "reformer" image Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul in the U.S. state of Minnesota.
"I am honored to accept the nomination and I accept the challenge of a tough fight," she said as beginning her first national speech.
"I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town. I was just your average hockey mom," she told the audience.
"I'm not a member of the permanent political establishment. And I've learned quickly these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone," Palin said, touting her "reformer" reputation.
She also touched upon the energy policies that she and the Republican presidential candidate John McCain will implement.
"Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America's energy problems," she said.
"Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we're going to lay more pipelines, build more nuclear plants, create jobs with clean coal and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources. We need American energy resources, brought to you by American ingenuity, and produced by American workers," she added.
Palin also praised McCain, saying he is the man to lead the nation. "Here's how I look at the choice Americans face in this election. In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change."
Palin blasted Democratic rival Barack Obama, saying he "wants to forfeit" while victory is "finally in sight."
"It's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform -- not even in the state Senate," she said.
