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Butler County resident Jim Crane said anyone who watched Sen. John McCain deliver his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention Thursday, Sept. 4, should have no doubt which candidate is most qualified candidate for president.

"If there's any question of character between two people, I think John McCain is so far ahead of Barack Obama it's not even funny," said Crane, a retired hotel manager from Fairfield who attended the convention as an alternate delegate. "The man's sincerity, what he's been through in his lifetime, the leader that he's been, not only in a Vietnam POW cell, but the time he spent in Congress. I just think he's the man for the job after tonight."

McCain used Thursday's speech to list the changes he sees as necessary to America's future.

"We need to change the way government does almost everything: from the way we protect our security to the way we compete in the world economy; from the way we respond to disasters to the way we fuel our transportation network; from the way we train our workers to the way we educate our children. ... We have to change the way we do business in Washington."

Jewel Baker, a Fairfield resident, former teacher and chairwoman of the Butler County GOP, praised McCain for being "a straight talker."

"What you see is what you get," she said. "John McCain is an American hero with a lifetime of courage, service, leadership and experience. Obama, he's a nice looking young guy that can really produce a good speech. He's a good communicator but he has no record as a legislator."

Baker, who attended several previous GOP conventions, said she was surprised at the reaction the McCain-Palin ticket elicited in St. Paul.

"I met three young girls on the elevator," Baker said. "You're talking about kids that's in college. You're not talking about 30- or 40-year-olds. And they said it's their first convention and they're so excited."

Crane said his trip to Minnesota was his way of paying tribute to a fellow Vietnam War veteran.

"This was my welcome home to him," Crane said.