John McCain will formally accept the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday night as the party's national convention comes to a close in St. Paul, Minnesota.
McCain's speechwriter, Mark Salter says the senator will address the broad themes of his campaign, highlight his policy differences with Democratic nominee Barack Obama, and make an appeal for bipartisanship.
McCain was officially nominated Wednesday night, shortly after delegates were energized by a fiery, partisan speech from his vice presidential running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Palin, relatively unknown in national politics before being picked by McCain, used her speech to defend her previous political experience.
She also went on the attack, belittling Obama's achievements in the Senate, as well as his early career as a community organizer in Chicago. A top Obama advisers, David Axelrod dismissed Palin's criticism, accusing her of blatantly distorting facts.