Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin brought some casual appeal to North Carolina last night, wearing jeans and singing "Redneck Woman" as she implored voters to hire the ticket to fix the nation's capital.
Though the Alaska governor said that the election was going down to the wire, she said that Democratic presidential rival Barack Obama has been acting as if he's already won.
"Barack Obama and I both have spent quite some time on the basketball court," Palin told a raucous crowd of several thousand in Asheville. "But where I come from, you have to win the game before you start cutting down the nets."
Palin said that the GOP ticket isn't assuming that it has voters' support, and is respectfully asking those in North Carolina to support her and running mate John McCain.
Among her criticisms, which she also made during rallies in Florida earlier in the day, was the claim that Obama already has an inaugural speech ready to give.
Obama's campaign said it isn't so. Spokesman Bill Burton said that the accusation comes from a report that White House chief of staff John D. Podesta had written a draft inaugural speech for Obama and included it in a recent book. Burton said that Podesta wrote it as a sample speech, not for Obama but for whoever became the nominee.
Palin came dressed in jeans and a black blouse, to appeal to the rural conservatives in Western North Carolina's mountains. She has been battling criticism after disclosures that the Republican National Committee bought $150,000 in clothes and accessories for her.
Palin said in Florida that the fancy wardrobe doesn't belong to her.
But the jeans fit her message in North Carolina's mountains. Before giving the crowd her full speech, she asked country artist Gretchen Wilson to sing her song, "Redneck Woman." On stage, Palin sang along -- though not into a microphone -- and clapped her hands.
Palin also called her mother on a cell phone and led the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday."
"You are such a welcoming, unique and fun and patriotic state," Palin said. "I love you guys."
But not everyone was loving her back. Before the event, Obama supporters clashed with a Palin crowd. The faceoff along a downtown road included loud arguments, vulgar signs and heated chants. Authorities stood between the crowds, although a couple of arguments turned into minor shoving.
A few protesters were also shown the door while Palin was on stage.
Palin's speech was the start of a wild and historic week of campaigning across North Carolina that will put all four major candidates on the trail in the state.
All the events indicate the urgency of winning North Carolina and its 15 electoral votes. Palin will be followed by her Democratic counterpart, Joe Biden, today. He has two scheduled campaign stops just a few days after finishing a three-city bus tour of the state.
The two presidential candidates have also scheduled events of their own.
Republican John McCain will be in Fayetteville on Tuesday.
Democrat Barack Obama will come on Wednesday to a yet-to-be-determined location. His wife, Michelle, will hold a separate event in the state.
The heavy focus on North Carolina in the final days of the race indicates just how valuable the state is as the election approaches and polls narrow.
North Carolina hasn't voted for a Democrat since 1976.
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