By Chris Cillizza
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Thursday, September 4, 2008 7:40 PM

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Arizona Sen. John McCain sought to wrest the change mantle from Sen. Barack Obama in his acceptance speech tonight at the Republican National Convention, appealing for an end to Washington's partisan rancor and casting himself as someone who has never forgotten that the first mission of elected officials is to serve the public.

"I don't work for a party," the Republicans presidential nominee declared before tens of thousands of cheering, flag waving delegates and party officials. "I don't work for a special interest. I don't work for myself. I work for you."

McCain's staccato speaking style is a far cry from the smooth, soaring rhetoric of Obama, but tonight he seemed to work to modulate his speech to add emphasis and emotion to his words. The speech, delivered before a gathering of his party's conservative base, also largely avoided the sort of red-meat rhetoric that might have whipped the live audience into a frenzy but alienate swing voters, who were clearly the target of the address.

But in boasting of his choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, McCain declared: "Let me offer an advance warning to the old, big spending, do nothing, me first, country second Washington crowd: change is coming."

McCain repeatedly cast his life story - from his captivity during the Vietnam War to his storied battles within the halls of Congress - as examples of his willingness to, as his campaign slogan states, put "country first" and act more out of concern for America than for a political party. He portrayed the choice in the fall presidential election between someone who has brought about reform and someone who simply talks about doing so.

"Again and again I've worked with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed," said McCain. "That's how I will govern as president. I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again."

McCain even praised Obama, his Democratic rival, at the start of the speech - insisting that the Illinois senator has his "respect and admiration" and added: "Despite our differences, much more unites us than divides us."

The plea for post-partisanship by McCain echoed similar strains offered by Obama throughout his successful Democratic primary bid and acceptance speech last week in Denver. The tone of the speech is also an acknowledgment by McCain and his senior advisers that given the decided tilt of the political landscape against Republicans, the only way the Arizona senator can win in the fall is to convince unaffiliated and independent voters - and even some Democrats - to cast a ballot for him.

"I'm not running for president because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need," he said tonight. "My country saved me. My country saved me, and I cannot forget it. And I will fight for her for as long as I draw breath, so help me God."

The moment was remarkable in that most political observers believed it would never happen. Last summer McCain's campaign -- underfunded and stripped bare of senior staff -- appeared on the verge of collapse. A narrow focus by the candidate on New Hampshire and a victory in that state's January primary began a comeback that culminated in tonight's speech.

McCain's speech came on the final night of a Republican National Convention that had been anything but traditional. The first night of the convention on Monday was canceled due to a hurricane bearing down on the Gulf Coast; the Democrat-turned-Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman headlined its second night; and on Wednesday night, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the vice presidential nominee, wowed the crowd with the most anticipated - and well-received -- address of the four-day gathering.

While McCain's speech was relatively light on hot partisan rhetoric, he still drew bright contrasts with Obama - particularly on a handful of crucial domestic issues.

On taxes, long a hot button issue for Republicans, McCain pledged to "keep taxes low and cut them where I can" while insisting that Obama "will raise them." On education, McCain advocated school choice and condemned Obama as wanting "our schools to answer to unions and entrenched bureaucracies." On energy, McCain contrasted his "ambitious" plan with Obama's opposition to expanded drilling and an increased focus on nuclear power.

The deliberate emphasis by McCain on domestic matters was an obvious attempt to answer his Democratic critics who have long argued that the Arizona senator has little familiarity or interest in addressing and solving the economic problems facing the country.

McCain avoided any direct attacks on Obama's foreign policy record or stance on the war in Iraq. But, before McCain took the stage, one of his key allies -- South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham -- repeatedly questioned the Democratic nominee's credentials and readiness for the presidency.

Graham noted that Obama initially opposed the surge in Iraq, and alleged that the Illinois senator is among the few people in public life who refuse to acknowledge its successes.

"We know the surge has worked, " said Graham. "Our men and women in uniform know it has worked. The only people who deny it are Barack Obama and his buddies at MoveOn.org"

He asserted: "Barack Obama's campaign is built around us losing in Iraq."

Graham also sought to turn the most-quoted line in Obama's acceptance speech last week against him. "If Barack Obama cannot appreciate that our troops are winning in Iraq, he should not be their commander-n-chief," said Graham. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying Barack Obama doesn't care. I'm just saying - he doesn't get it."

Obama, in an appearance on Fox News Channel's "O'Reilly Factor" that aired earlier this evening, said: "I think that the surge has succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated . . . It's succeeded beyond our wildest dream." He also said, however, that "The Iraqis still haven't taken responsibility. And we still don't have that kind of political reconciliation."

In many ways, McCain's speech to the assembled delegates in St. Paul was a return to his political roots. McCain's rise on the national scene was born in large part from his willingness to buck Republican orthodoxy on issues like campaign finance reform, tax cuts, the environment and immigration.

This year, however, McCain has focused far less on the areas in which he disagrees with the base of the party -- a strategic necessity as he sought the Republican presidential nomination. On the campaign trail, McCain speaks rarely -- if ever -- about the issues on which his maverick reputation is built, choosing instead to focus heavily on foreign policy and national security matters.

The conclusion of McCain's speech signaled the official start of a 60-day general election sprint with several recent national polls have showed the contest as a dead heat