A visit by Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin drew a crowd of more than 6,000 to the Omaha Civic Auditorium Music Hall Sunday night.

The Alaska governor came on stage around 7:25 p.m. and spoke for about 25 minutes.

People began gathering outside the Music Hall early in the day. While that vast majority of those in the crowd were already McCain supporters, Channel 6 News found a few undecided voters who said they wanted to learn more about Palin.

“Going in to this I had low expectations based on previous interviews, but I was impressed,” said undecided voter Scott Susman. “I still want to hear more about the issues. I am probably leaning more toward Obama, but we'll see. I have not been happy with all the smear campaign the past couple of days, but we'll see.”

Palin said she didn't come to Nebraska because the Republican presidential ticket she's part of is scared. She said the campaign was simply trying to get out to more of the country before Election Day. "I'm going to Nebraska because I want to go to Nebraska. I asked to come to the heartland of America."

Her comments about values and the middle class drew huge cheers from the crowd. "He will keep on fighting for you Nebraska. That man is John McCain."

One of the highlights of the evening came when Palin was presented with a hockey jersey. Palin said Omaha holds a special place in her heart because UNO is home of the Mavericks.

Palin also took time to poke some fun at herself after her much criticized Katie Couric interview last week. “Evidently there's been a lot of interest lately in what I read and this is a result of a less than successful interview that I had recently with someone in the mainstream media. Really, I was just trying to give Tina Fey more material.”

She said some "pundits" have suggested her visit to Omaha denotes fear of Democrat Barack Obama's campaign in Nebraska's 2nd District. Obama is trying to shave off one electoral vote from the state, which is one of just two that splits them (Maine is the other), although it's never happened.

A Democrat hasn't won any of the state's electoral votes since 1964.

Republican Gov. Dave Heineman, who introduced Palin, told the crowd that she "shares our values and our beliefs." Palin said a vote for Obama would bring higher taxes, bigger government, activist judges and retreat in war.

She promised a McCain-Palin administration would bring about energy independence because "the cost of energy can make the difference between turning a profit and losing the farm."

Palin also again mentioned Obama's connection to Bill Ayers, a founder of the violent Weather Underground group during the Vietnam era. Palin has said Obama "pals around with terrorists" because of Obama's association with Ayers.

She said Sunday that the Obama campaigns claims that he's "just someone in his neighborhood" isn't true and she said Obama "is not a man that sees America as you and I do."

Obama and Ayers served on the same Chicago charity and live near each other in Chicago. Ayers also held a meet-the-candidate event at his home for Obama when Obama first ran for office in the mid-1990s, the event cited by Palin.

Nebraska U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson held a news conference outside Omaha's City Hall Sunday afternoon where he said Palin's claim that Obama "pals around with terrorists" was "Swift Boat politics."

Palin said the Democratic presidential nominee's association with a 1960s radical is an issue that is "fair to talk about." Obama has denounced the radical views and actions of Bill Ayers, a founder of the violent Weather Underground group during the Vietnam era.

Nelson called the comments "a thinly veiled strategy to try to change the subject."

"While Gov. Palin visits Nebraska today, I want Nebraskans to know that her and Sen. McCain's health care plan will make Nebraskans worse off,” said Sen. Nelson, who believes the McCain campaign is trying to distract Americans from the real issues by smearing Obama.