On August 29, 2008, John McCain, who was the choice of the Republican Party to become president of the United States, said he wanted Palin to become the Vice President. She was picked at the 2008 Republican National Convention in Saint Paul, Minnesota to be the Republican Party choice. She was the first woman to be chosen by the Republican Party to try to become either President or Vice President and the first person from Alaska to be picked for one of these jobs by either the Republican or the Democratic Party. Many Republicans liked the choice, but many other people thought she did not have enough experience and was not smart enough. This image came about from errors in her speeches and interviews with journalists like Katie Couric and Charles Gibson. Her opponent was Joe Biden, who won.