In a final plea to Indiana voters, McCain urged a few thousand supporters to show up to the polls tomorrow in a fiery and aggressive speech.

“The enthusiasm, the momentum that we see here, makes me know we are going to win this election tomorrow,” he said. “My friends, Indiana is now a battleground state. But it’s a battle that we’re going to win. We’re going to win the battle in Indiana.”

He asked voters to knock on doors, talk to neighbors and get out and vote tomorrow.

“I’m not afraid of the fight,” he said. “I’m ready for it and so will you.”

Hoosiers saw the Senator’s plane land and then he walked out to the small stage, where he told voters he would work to keep taxes low and the country safe. He said they couldn’t take the chance that Obama, who he said is inexperienced, would pass the test.

“I’ve been tested and I passed the test,” McCain said. “He wants to be redistributionist in chief. I’m running to be commander in chief.”

“America is worth fighting for. Nothing is inevitable here. We never give up. We never quit,” he said. “Indiana, I’m counting on you tomorrow.”

McCain’s plane flew right over a few thousand supporters just now, and the Senator is expected to speak shortly.

Mayor Greg Ballard spoke to the crowd already, criticizing the media and rallying up supporters.

“Now some of you may know, I know just a little bit about grassroots politics,” the mayor said, speaking of his win in Indianapolis after he trailed in polls leading up to the election.

“The Democrats and the media- is there any difference there?- are saying that this race is over” Ballard said. “During my campaign I never led a poll. And I’m standing here as the mayor of Indianapolis. ”

With one day to go, Republican nominee John McCain is making a quick stop in Indy- on the runway at the airport. A small group of dedicated followers have turned out for the pre-election day event, no more than 2,000.

Country music seems to be the soundtrack of choice at these events, and a small acoustic group is warming up the crowd as we wait for McCain’s campaign plane to arrive and McCain to speak.

McCain is scheduled to speak in 7 states today, according to the New York Times.

Just one hour ago “Barack Obama” sent me an e-mail announcing he will have a rally in Indianapolis this Wednesday, Oct. 8.

The rally will be at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1202 E. 38th St. in Indianapolis. Gates open at 10 a.m. and the event is scheduled to start at 12:15 p.m.

The event is free, but tickets are required. To RSVP for the event, click here and fill out the information.

Interestingly, Obama will speak just hours after the second presidential debate at 9 p.m. Tuesday night in Nashville. He and McCain will hold a joint town-hall type of meeting.

His appearance will be two weeks after Democratic vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden spoke in Jeffersonville, which is just outside of Louisville. Obama also visited Terre Haute earlier this summer.

But don’t fret John McCain backers, rumors have it that the Arizona senator will be spending more time and money in Indiana to thwart Democratic attempts to take the state in November. He started airing advertisements in Indiana last week and I wouldn’t be surprised if McCain makes a stop in the Hoosier state sometime in the next two weeks.

Yes I know, this is late, but after I went to French Lick to cover the Gubernatorial candidates and then went to Jeffersonville to see Democratic vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden, I needed some recovery time.

You can read the story here as well as find photographer Brandon Foltz’ slideshow here. Make sure to check out Brandon’s work; he got some great shots of Delaware’s senior senator. Brandon was actually one of two photographers pulled out of the media to follow Biden’s walk up through the crowd and up to the stage.

Interesting to note was that some Democratic candidates in Indiana weren’t at the speech. Baron Hill of Indiana’s 9th Congressional District, which includes Jeffersonville, wasn’t there and neither was Jill Long Thompson, who is running for governor.

This is one of several stops the Obama-Biden campaign has made in Indiana, including Barack in Terre Haute and Michelle in Fishers.

I was just talking with some other election reporters and editors earlier about how the Democrats have vastly out-spent the Republicans in this state. So I was very surprised a few minutes ago when I saw this story from on MSNBC about how the GOP is planning to air ads in several new states, including Indiana. This one from WISH-TV says it’s only the second time a GOP presidential candidate spent money in Indiana, other than 1996.

Not sure if this is a sign of more things to come from the Republicans, or if the Democrats will continue to outdo them in money and political capital spent in this state. Of course, the Democrats have a tough job in turning Indiana blue, and they may regret spending money in what is usually a solidly red state when some of Indiana’s neighbors, like Ohio and Michigan, are completely up for grabs.

“I won’t let you down,” John McCain said tonight in his speech accepting the Republican nomination for President. He criticized Washington and the party divisions he says have caused more problems.

(Photo by Chris Pickrell)

“The constant partisan rancor that stops us from solving these problems isn’t a cause, it’s a symptom,” McCain said. “It’s what happens when people go to Washington to work for themselves and not for you.”

McCain spoke of unifying theparties to solve problems. “Let’s use the best ideas from both sides. … this amazing country can do anything we put our minds to.”

McCain said spoke to his prisoner of war experiecne and time serving in Vietnam. As president, he said he would “reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again. I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not.”

The one Indiana delegate I did get a chance to talk with after, Richard Mourdock, the Indiana State Treasurer, said he nearly didn’t even come to the convention because he wasn’t a big believer in McCain. After tonight’s speech, he says he is leaving a fan.

See tomorrow’s IDS for more.

Republicans are breathing a sight of relief that Sarah Palin passed the test in her first and most important introduction with last night’s speech. Tonight, their hero John McCain will give his speech and formally accept the Republican nomination.

Today I’ve been talking to younger Republicans with Indiana ties that are in something called the Page Program, a group of 16-25 year olds selected to help out at the convention and hear from Republican speakers as a sort of internship-type experience. All of them couldn’t stop talking about how excited they were about Gov. Palin and loved her speech. I interviewed them about the Republican party in general and what it’s like to not be party of a huge youth push for Obama. See tomorrow’s IDS for the full story.

Tonight’s other speeches are scheduled to include Cindy McCain, Gov. Tim Pawlenty from Minnesota and Gov. Tom Ridge from Pennsylvania and some preliminary speeches are just getting started.

Republicans couldn’t be more excited about Gov. Sarah Palin’s speech tonight, where she criticized those who have pegged her as inexperienced and sharply jabbed the media for their coverage of her 17-year-old daughter’s pregnancy. Palin spoke with a confidance that may have surprised some Republicans and also made several stabs at Barack Obama. Palin also wasn’t afraid to criticize the media for their coverage, which led several delegates to actually point and boo at some of them sitting near the delegate floor.

“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. “But here’s a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I’m not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I’m going to Washington to serve the people of this great country.”

(Photo by Chris Pickrell)

A man sitting next to me from Greenwood, Indiana who works at a political consulting firm called Palin’s speech “electrifying” and Indiana delegate Luke Messer said the crowd was “ecstatic.” Palin’s jabs at Obama and Democrats showed that she was “very strong in a fair and fun way,” Messer said.

The role call is now finishing up and McCain has officially been nominated as the Republican nominee which means we never have to write the word “presumptive” again and that tomorrow is the last night of the RNC where McCain will give his acceptance speech. For now, however, Republicas are just relishing in the fact that Palin pulled off a speech that spoke right to her opponents.

See tomorrow’s IDS for more details on Palin’s speech and other speakers from this evening, which included: Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giulinai, Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, and Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas.

Tonight Gov. Salin Palin, John McCain’s running mate, will be introduced to America during her speech at the convention. The speech is highly anticipated, as many of the delegates are enthusiastic about her. But the speech will come two days after the announcement of her 17-year-old daughter’s pregnancy amid other speculation about her past. Judging by a lot of the conversation here, Palin’s speech will be just as important for the GOP as John McCain’s tomorrow when he formally accepts the nomination.

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I spent the day following around different groups of protesters. It seems many of these groups can get permits to be here, and the police won’t arrest them unless they are being violent or deliberately breaking the law. CodePink was the most interesting protest of the day, where a 20-year-old college student and 74-year-old woman from California marched with about 30 others around the convention center declaring their need for free speech and distaste for Sarah Palin.

The scene outside the convention center is completely opposite of what we saw on Monday, the day most of the action was cancelled due to Gustav. Individual protesters with signs, different political groups, and delegates mill around outside a large stage where MSNBC has set up their station to broadcast throughout the convention. But the action won’t go down until about 7 pm ET.

See tomorrow’s IDS for a full story on the protesters. More to come tonight with Palin’s speech, along with others, including Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, whose campaign for president ended earlier this year.

(Photo by Chris Pickrell)

The first real night of the Republicans’ party has just concluded, which included Democrat-turned-Independent Joe Lieberman, who gave a speech tonight just eight years ago at the Democratic National Convention. This time, he rallied around McCain and also for voters to put aside party politics and come together.

“You know the sad truth is it shouldn’t take a hurricane to bring us together like this,” Lieberman said. “Everyday millions of our citizens are facing big and real problems.”

“They see Democrats and Republicans figthing each other, rather than fighting for the American people,” Lieberman added.

Fred Thompson, a former Senator from Tennessee, brought the most heat to the Obama campaign, playing off his campaign’s slogan of change and saying only McCain has “character you can believe in.” Thompson also bashed the media for the coverage of McCain’s running mate Gov. Sarah Palin’s 17-year-old daugther’s pregnancy, calling it a “media frenzy.”

And not the least of the speeches was one via satellite from the White House from President Bush, who spent a lot of time speaking on McCain’s prisoner of war experience and emphasizing his character. Republicans got the most laughter out of Thompson’s jabs at Obama and made the most noise anytime someone said “Country First.” Though the convention hall wasn’t completely packed, Republicans were certainly enthusiastic after waiting a day to really start the party.

Read tomorrow’s IDS for more.