McCain formally nominated as Republican presidential candidate
4/9/2008 17:44
John McCain, a 72-year-old senator from Arizona, was formally nominated
for president by the Republican Party after delegates to the Republican National
Convention voted to choose him as their standard-bearer yesterday.
The roll
call of states began last night shortly after McCain's surprise vice
presidential pick Sarah Palin delivered her first major speech in prime
time.
McCain needs 1191 votes to clinch the nomination. He got 1223 votes
half way through the roll call when delegates from his home state Arizona cast
all their votes for the senator.
McCain, who flew in earlier yesterday, only
made a brief appearance last night to greet Palin and her family after the
first-term governor of Alaska finished her much-expected speech to the
convention.
The senator is expected to accept the nomination and will be
crowned as Republican presidential nominee when he delivers his acceptance
speech today.
The speech is widely believed to be critical for McCain to jump
start his final-phase bid for the White House.
Latest polls show that McCain
is lagging behind his Democratic rival Barack Obama.
Xinhua
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