KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:
Tens of millions of Americans tuned in to watch Donald Trump accept the Republican presidential nomination at the convention. Colorado Public Radio's Megan Verlee went to a restaurant south of Denver. There she was with a few dozen Republicans in the battleground state to watch.
MEGAN VERLEE, BYLINE: After viewing the convention at home all week, people arrived at last night's watch party ready to party. Most hit the taco bar before sitting down at restaurant tables decorated with fake dollar bills, walls made out of large Legos and miniature Trump jets. Charlene Hardcastle with Colorado Women for Trump says her group organized the watch party event in part as a show of unity.
CHARLENE HARDCASTLE: We're hoping the Republicans will get on board full throttle for Trump.
VERLEE: Indeed, it was hard to find a person here who considered the New York businessman a first choice for the nomination. But many, like Jim Hargis, said they were happy to see him accept it.
JIM HARGIS: I'm a recent convert.
VERLEE: Who did you support before?
HARGIS: I was Cruzer before, now I'm a Trumper.
VERLEE: Hargus said he started supporting Trump simply because it was the will of the voters. The convention has helped him feel a lot happier with that choice.
HARGIS: I'm ecstatic with the speakers at the convention. It's revealed that we have a good unifier here. This is a great unifier person.
VERLEE: Colorado's delegates to the RNC staged a brief uprising on the convention floor on Monday. And when it failed, some walked out. The rebels said they were acting on principle, but partygoers like Lisa Furman (ph) weren't too thrilled.
LISA FURMAN: If I had been chosen to go, I would have sat in my seat. I would have stayed there because it's - we shouldn't be fighting amongst each other.
VERLEE: Trump hasn't been polling very well in Colorado. But you wouldn't know that sitting in the room last night, not once he began to speak.
(SOUNDBITE OF 2016 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION)
DONALD TRUMP: In this race for the White House, I am the law and order candidate.
(APPLAUSE)
VERLEE: The crowd listened intently to Trump's speech, erupting occasionally into familiar chants.
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting) Build a wall. Build a wall. Build a wall...
VERLEE: Afterward, Sally Stanley said this was exactly what she needed to hear from the candidate. She went into the convention feeling lukewarm about Trump.
SALLY STANLEY: He came forward with such great detail. I hadn't heard that before in terms of what he was going to do, and that was very impressive.
VERLEE: Trump's acceptance speech also pleased Kathleen Reynolds. She's been worried about his, as she puts it, raw style.
KATHLEEN REYNOLDS: It was very encouraging. There was none of the nonsense that we've heard from him before. So it's all good.
VERLEE: Reynolds says she's feeling better about pitching Trump to her friends. And after a week glued to the RNC, has she had her fill of political theater?
REYNOLDS: Oh, I can't wait to watch the Democratic convention next week. I don't like politics that well, but I am so into this.
VERLEE: After all, says Reynolds, with an election this important, you have to know what the other side is saying. For NPR News, I'm Megan Verlee in Denver. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.