US election at-a-glance: 5 Sept

DAY IN A NUTSHELL

As pundits chew over John McCain's acceptance speech from last night, the candidates are on the campaign trail. Mr McCain shows off his new running-mate Sarah Palin in Wisconsin and Michigan, while Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden swing through Pennsylvania. The man in charge of an ethics investigation into Sarah Palin announces that his report will now arrive on October 10, three weeks earlier than expected.

KEY QUOTES

"They spent a lot of time trying to run me down�. What they didn't talk about is you. And what you're going through in your lives."
Barack Obama gives his take on the Republican convention.

This ain't your father's Republican Party

Joe Biden

Day at a glance: 4 September

Day at a glance: 3 September

Day at a glance: 2 September

Day at a glance: 1 September

"I guess when you turn out to be profoundly wrong on a vital national security issue, maybe it's comforting to pretend that everyone else was wrong too."
Sarah Palin criticises Mr Obama for saying that "the surge has succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated".

"Isn't this the most marvellous running mate in the history of this nation?"
John McCain on Sarah Palin

"This ain't your father's Republican Party� this is a different Republican party."
Joe Biden

"We conservatives have had a good time ridiculing the Obama phenomenon, especially its messianic feel� It turns out that we were dying to have basically the same experience."
Paul Mirengoff, Powerline

NUMBER NEWS

An ABC News poll published today suggests that the public are not convinced that Sarah Palin has "the right experience to serve effectively as president".

According to the survey, 50% of respondents think Mrs Palin does not have enough experience, while 42% believe that she does.

When asked to rate Joe Biden's experience, 66% said yes and 21% said no.

However, Mrs Palin's perceived lack of experience has apparently not affected her popularity.

The same ABC poll indicates that 50% of voters hold a favourable view of the Republican vice-presidential hopeful.

DAILY PICTURE