In her first speech on national TV, Palin ignited the delegates at the RNC. Her speech was viewed by 37.2 million. This nearly beat the 38.4 million that watched Obama’s speech at the DNC, which was the most-watched convention speech in history. It was nearly double the number that watched day three of the 2004 RNC. It far exceeded the number that watched either Bush or Kerry speak in 2004 at their conventions.
The speech inspired $1 million in donations to the Republican National Committee’s campaign to elect John McCain, according to The Wall Street Journal. It also inspired opponents to donate $10 million to Obama, according to Bloomberg.
These were the first interviews Palin gave after being chosen, and the only she gave in her first two weeks. They took place in Alaska. The next two clips are the first interview on foreign policy aired on Sept. 11, 2008: