People eagerly sat, awaiting encouraging words from their political leaders.

Applause, screams and inflated sticks loudly crashing together combined to create cacophonous celebration.

And many in attendance were there for one purpose: to rally behind presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Convention chairman Norm Shinkle opened the event with a defining message: “We have an opportunity to win this state for John McCain.”

The state’s local delegates elected 60 delegates Saturday who will attend September’s Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, Minn. Thirty of those delegates are expected to attend the September convention after the Republican National Committee stripped Michigan of half its delegates for moving up its presidential primary.

But the status of those delegates remains uncertain after former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who won the state’s delegates in January, suspended his campaign and endorsed McCain.

Romney’s actions leaves his delegates uncommitted — but with a potential lean toward McCain, said Michigan Republican Party chairman Saul Anuzis.

As of Saturday, 10 of Michigan’s 60 delegates were committed to McCain based on January’s elections, Anuzis said. Following Saturday, however, party officials said they expect that to change.

As far as Anuzis is concerned, the state has already turned to McCain. He said based on his knowledge and the delegates who were elected to the convention, McCain will receive most of the state’s delegates.

Identifying the party’s face, Anuzis said, will increase the chance of a Republican winning the presidency.

“Electing the next Republican president won’t be simply about moving moderates into the Republican column,” he said in a speech. “It will be about moving conservatives of every stripe — or no stripe at all — to vote for our nominee.”

Some party members might be more difficult to move than others with Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee still in the presidential race.

Auburn Hills resident Eric Russell, 31, said McCain has about 830 of the required 1,191 delegates for the Republican Party nomination. Although he said the “general climate” Saturday favored McCain, Russell weathered the support and promoted Huckabee’s campaign.

“Some people think that it’s more important that the Republican Party wins no matter who the candidate is, and to a degree I agree with that,” he said. “Mike Huckabee is definitely the one who represents true conservatives. Anybody who is for McCain is probably just voting with the party line instead of their own brain.”

Brent Stanton, 17, of Williamston, said Romney’s exit from the race expedited the party’s solidification of McCain.

“Romney and Huckabee generally split the ultra-conservative vote,” he said. “And now that Romney has asked his delegates to support McCain at the convention, I think you’re really going to see the conservative movement start to fall behind McCain.”