ST. PAUL, Minn. — It took about two minutes before Alaskan governor and Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin could begin her speech at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night.

That’s how long it took the crowd to quiet down.

But when Palin was finally given her chance to address the audience, she took it in part as an opportunity to address her critics.

“Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown,” Palin said, promptly addressing arguments that her experience doesn’t make her qualified for the vice presidency.

She said that being a small-town mayor is “sort of like a community organizer,” referring to some of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s work experience.

“Except that you have actual responsibilities,” she quipped.

Palin then turned her attention to members of the media who consider her unqualified because she is not a member in good standing of the “Washington elite.”

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

“Americans expect us to go to Washington for the right reasons, and not just to mingle with the right people.”

Palin said the right reason to go to Washington is to “change the status quo, serve the common good and leave this nation better than we found it.”

Palin talked about the reform she’s helped bring about in Alaska during her two years as governor, including cutting things from the governor’s office that “I didn’t believe our citizens should have to pay for.”

“That luxury jet was over the top,” she said. “I put it on eBay.

“I also drive myself to work.”

She said she, as Sen. John McCain has promised to do if elected, has used her veto power to defend the public interest.

“I can assure you it works — our state budget is under control, we have a surplus,” Palin said. “I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending — nearly half a billion dollars in vetoes.”

If elected, Palin said that, starting in January, she and McCain would begin lay more pipelines, create jobs with clean coal and “move forward on solar, wind, geothermal and other alternative sources.”

“We need American energy resources, brought to you by American ingenuity and produced by American workers,” she said.

She then turned her attention to Obama to contrast her experience as a chief executive with his experience as a senator.

“We’ve all heard his dramatic speeches before devoted followers, and there is much to like and admire about our opponent,” she said. “But listening to him speak, it’s easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform — not even in the state senate.”

“And though both Sen. Obama and (running mate) Sen. (Joe) Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, ‘fighting for you,’ let us face the matter squarely,” she continued. “There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you — in places where winning means survival and defeat means death — and that man is John McCain.”

Palin said McCain’s experience as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War and his track record as a politician make him the only candidate to consider for presidency.

“If character is the measure in this election, and hope the theme, and change the goal we share, then I ask you to join our cause,” she said. “Join our cause and help America elect a great man as the next president of the United States.”

As the crowd burst into cheers once again for Palin when finished her speech, she was joined by her family.

Then, when it seemed the crowd couldn’t cheer any louder, the volume became almost painful as McCain, the official Republican presidential nominee as of Wednesday night, walked onto the stage with Palin and her family unannounced.

McCain and Palin stood side-by-side, waving to the crowd as it roared.

Then McCain finally spoke.

“Don’t you think we made the right choice for the next vice president of the United States?” he asked.