COLORADO SPRINGS – He came to this stronghold of Christian evangelism, this time accompanied by a running mate who has energized the socially conservative base of the GOP. And what a difference it made. Two days after he accepted his party’s nomination for president, Republican John McCain and his new vice presidential selection Sarah Palin were in Colorado Springs wooing a crowd of as many as 15,000. It was clear that, at least to many in this crowd, the Palin pick was a big hit.