Sept. 5 (Bloomberg) -- The Republican Party has separated itself from President George W. Bush with a convention that ``saw the pages turn'' from the incumbent, who won't be asked to campaign with John McCain, the nominee's campaign manager said.

Rick Davis, speaking on Bloomberg Television's ``Political Capital With Al Hunt,'' said the four-day gathering in St. Paul, Minnesota, let the party shift its focus from the current president to its nominee.

``One of the things this Republican convention did is create a whole new Republican Party, separate from George Bush's Republican Party, which reigned supreme in the land of Republicanism for many years,'' Davis said. ``We saw the pages turn.''

Some of the biggest cheers during the convention, which ended last night, were for McCain's running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who in her acceptance speech accused Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama of lacking experience.

Before her selection, Palin's background was checked, or vetted, as much as any other potential nominee, and media accounts suggesting otherwise were wrong, Davis said. He said the examination of the vetting process stemmed in part from the fact that few people anticipated McCain would pick Palin.

Davis said a Sept. 2 article written by Washington Post reporter Dan Balz that said Palin wasn't properly vetted was inaccurate. ``He just didn't get the story straight,'' Davis said.

`Exactly the Same'

``Everybody got vetted exactly the same way,'' Davis said. ``The press got caught completely flat-footed. There was not a single journalist who went out and said Sarah Palin might be a good pick for John McCain.''

A call to the Washington Post seeking comment wasn't immediately returned.

Davis praised the selection of Palin, 44, an opponent of abortion rights, as someone who would help the party capture the political center where most voters are. Palin is the second woman ever nominated for vice president by a major political party; the Democrats chose Geraldine Ferraro in 1984. New York Senator Hillary Clinton came close to defeating Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination this year.

`Almost Non-ideological'

``It's almost non-ideological,'' Davis said. ``You have Hillary Clinton supporters -- women who felt they've been left out of the Democratic Party by the crushing blow of Hillary's defeat -- coming over because they thought Sarah Palin really represented an opportunity to really crack that glass ceiling.''

He defended Palin's attacks on Obama's background as a community organizer, noting that the Democrats went after the Alaska governor's resume when she was chosen. Palin was mayor of Wasilla, a city of about 9,000 people, before being elected governor in 2006.

``Turnabout is fair play,'' Davis said. ``All's fair in love and politics.''

Davis said McCain and Palin would target Pennsylvania, which hasn't been won by a Republican presidential candidate since 1988. During the Democratic primary in April, Clinton beat Obama by almost 10 points in the state, and Obama has yet to win over many of her supporters, Davis said.

``We have incredible opportunities there with disaffected Democrats in the heartland of Pennsylvania,'' he said.

Davis said the economy would be the major issue in the campaign, and that Arizona Senator McCain, 72, connected to voters last night in his acceptance speech.

McCain on Economy

``His ability to understand what's happening in people's homes is very important,'' Davis said. ``Barack Obama truly believes that the way to help people is to expand the role of government and let the government make choices.''

McCain once joked that the press was his base; Davis said that there is now a bias in the press in favor of Illinois Senator Obama, 47.

``It just hasn't been the same,'' Davis said. ``There is a bias, not so much against John McCain but for Barack Obama. It's our job to try to keep the field of play as level as possible. We have to push back now and then.''

Even so, McCain is much more accessible to the press than Obama is, and more so than either Bush or Democratic nominee John Kerry was four years ago, Davis said.

``John McCain is still the most accessible politician in America,'' he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan D. Salant in Minneapolis at jsalant@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: September 5, 2008 13:41 EDT