Senator Mitch McConnell says Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has electrified delegates and he suspects the American people as well. Her dynamic presentation presents a daunting task for John McCain's speech to measure up.

Watch the entire interview here

McConnell has made gas prices a key issue in his campaign against Bruce Lunsford, and he expects energy to be a focus tonight.

And McConnell agrees with Barack Obama's definition of the biggest issue in November.

"This is an election about change," the Senate Minority Leader told WHAS11's Joe Arnold, "the question is what kind of change?"

"They are the party of taxation, regulation and litigation," McConnell continued, "There's nothing new about Barack Obama's policies. What's new is him. And the election really needs to be about what policies would you pursue, and I think that McCain and Palin will argue pretty darn successfully are the policies they advocate are real change."

The change might come at some cost to McCain, however. By taking aim at the Washington establishment and spending by government, Palin and McCain appear to be taking aim at congressman like McConnell who is known for his success in securing federal funds for Kentucky.

"They're taking shots at Harry Reid by name and the Democratic Majority which hasn't done anything over the last year and a half," McConnell countered in a satellite interview with WHAS11.

And the veteran campaigner thinks it will be a close election.

"We'll see where it stands after our convention is over, in the polls next week. We know Ohio. No Republican has ever been elected President without carrying Ohio so we know Ohio's important.

It will be states around us that will be in play. The Democrats would like to put Indiana in play. I don't think they'll be successful. Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania will be battleground states in this election as they have been in the past."

McConnell says he's confident he'll win his re-election bid but that Republicans will still be in the minority in the Senate, he says "a relevant minority in the senate with clout."

And despite McConnell's battles with McCain over campaign finance reform and pork barrel spending, it was McConnell tonight who, as temporary chair of the RNC, who officially announced the nomination of Sarah Palin for Vice-President.

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