Palin to crowd: Stick with us

Candidate paints McCain as foe of big government, friend to taxpayers

ASHEVILLE -- Kicking off a historic week in battleground North Carolina, Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin made a pitch to voters in the final days before the election promising lower taxes and energy independence.

"You have a choice between a politician who puts his faith in big government and a true leader, John McCain, who puts his faith in all of you," Palin said. "You have a choice between a politician who will spread your wealth around and John McCain who will spread opportunity and lower your taxes."

Palin billed McCain's Democratic opponent Barack Obama as an over-confident candidate who was treating the election as a formality.

She said she had one thing in common with Obama, that they'd both spent some time on the basketball court.

"But where I come from, you have to win the game before you start cutting down the nets," Palin told a raucous crowd of several thousand in Asheville.

"If you are ready to shake up Washington and clean up Wall Street and are ready to get our economy back on the right track and ready for us to win the war against the terrorists, then North Carolina, we are asking for your vote," she said.

With a giant flag as a backdrop, Palin stood on stage with her husband, Todd, at the Asheville Civic Center. She showed up wearing jeans after a rough week in which her more upscale wardrobe -- paid for by the Republican Party -- had drawn negative attention.

On Friday, she had to testify in an Alaska inquiry into whether she abused her power as governor in a personnel matter linked to her former brother-in-law.

There were also reports that McCain insiders felt she had become a "rogue" and wouldn't take advice from the campaign. McCain has defended and praised her.

Palin's North Carolina appearance is a sign of troubled times for the campaign. Republicans have been able to bank on the state's electoral votes for three decades. A tight race this year has forced the campaign to focus on the state.

Both campaigns have blanketed the airwaves with ads. This week, all of the major candidates will be in North Carolina -- Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden today, McCain on Tuesday and Obama on Wednesday.

Palin spoke for more than half an hour to a cheering crowd.

Country musician Gretchen Wilson kicked off the rally with a cover of the Heart song "Barracuda," a nod to Palin's high school basketball nickname "Sarah Barracuda." Later, Palin clapped to Wilson's Grammy-winning tune "Redneck Woman."

Teresa Case of Statesville, who traveled to Asheville with friends, said Palin has been unfairly characterized in the press.

"It's because the liberals are afraid of her," said Case, who volunteers for the McCain camp. "They're picking on her because they can't pick on McCain."

First in line at 5:45 a.m. to see Palin was Joy Caccavale, who said she initially wasn't impressed with the choice of Palin as McCain's running mate.

"I knew he was just trying to get the women's vote," said Caccavale, who had been a Hillary Clinton supporter.

But on Sunday, she got in line more than 12 hours before Palin's scheduled appearance. Last week, Caccavale voted for a Republican for president for the first time in her life.

One undecided voter, Richard Ehrhart of Weaverville, said he's seen all the campaigners who have come to town -- Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton. Sunday it was time to see Palin.

Ehrhart said the appeal from the McCain campaign is that they're both "maverick types" who go against party lines.

A few Obama supporters showed up, too, holding signs that included "Say yes to Obama" and "Real women's rights include choice."

"I'm here to support Barack Obama. He's an incredibly beautiful and intelligent man," said John McKewn, a student at UNC-Asheville.