{"id":3797,"date":"2008-10-03T01:39:00","date_gmt":"2008-10-03T07:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/2008\/10\/mccain-backers-say-palin-proved-herself-during-debate\/"},"modified":"2008-10-03T01:39:00","modified_gmt":"2008-10-03T07:39:00","slug":"mccain-backers-say-palin-proved-herself-during-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2008\/10\/mccain-backers-say-palin-proved-herself-during-debate\/","title":{"rendered":"McCain backers say Palin proved herself during debate"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Sitting in a restaurant in Las Cruces, Frank Gamboa<\/a> became visibly upset when he watched Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden<\/a> say during Thursday\u2019s debate that he hasn\u2019t heard of any differences between the policies of President Bush<\/a> and those of Republican presidential candidate John McCain<\/a>. <\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cYou haven\u2019t been listening, you jerk,\u201d Gamboa said aloud while he raised a fist in the air.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Gamboa was among a handful of surrogates and others involved in McCain\u2019s campaign who watched Thursday\u2019s vice presidential debate at Uno Chicago Bar and Grill. The group was clearly pleased with Sarah Palin\u2019s<\/a> performance, and at many points some of them became upset with statements made by Biden.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Gamboa, who was McCain\u2019s roommate at the Naval<\/st1:placename> Academy<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:place>, said after the debate that he believed Palin was \u201cclear and to the point\u201d during the debate, while Biden\u2019s responses to questions were meandering and angry. He used words such as bouncy, energetic and fun to describe Palin\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought she was the clear winner,\u201d Gamboa said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The group of surrogates is on a three-day tour of New Mexico<\/st1:state> that began Thursday morning in Santa Fe<\/st1:city> and will end in Albuquerque<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> on Friday evening. Traveling with Gamboa and the others is Jim Spiri<\/a>, who has spent time as an embedded photojournalist in Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Spiri said after watching the debate that Palin effectively made clear the importance of her experience as a governor of a key energy producing state.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cHer message was, \u2018Don\u2019t mess with me. I know how to do this and I\u2019m going to do this.\u2019 I think that was the turning point,\u201d Spiri said after the debate.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

He said he believes the McCain campaign has held Palin back until Thursday\u2019s debate — something he disagreed with — and said she proved during the debate that \u201cit was time to open up and show the reason that Sen. McCain picked her in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of New Mexico released a statement about the debate from Priscilla Chavez, a former Clinton<\/st1:city> delegate from Las Cruces<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> who now supports Barack Obama<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cWatching Sen. Biden tonight, I was reminded of why I am so proud to stand 100 percent behind an Obama\/Biden ticket,\u201d Chavez said. \u201cJoe Biden talked about cutting taxes for the middle class and getting our country back on track, while Gov. Palin didn\u2019t have any answers for how a McCain\/Palin administration would better the lives of middle-class families.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cGov. Palin even defended the failed policies of the Bush Administration, promising more of the same,\u201d Chavez said. \u201cMy family and families like mine in southern New Mexico<\/st1:place><\/st1:state> can\u2019t afford another four years of the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

There was one moment during the debate when Spiri said Palin made a mistake. Following a question about what promises the McCain\/Palin ticket wouldn\u2019t be able to keep because of the economic crisis, Palin said there would be no broken promises. She said she hasn\u2019t made many promises because she\u2019s \u201conly been at this five weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Spiri leaned back in his chair.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, she shouldn\u2019t have said that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Palin\u2019s experience — or lack thereof — is a critical topic in the race.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

But Spiri said after the debate that Palin spoke in a direct manner and held her own, adding that she \u201coverpowered\u201d Biden on \u201cmany issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Gamboa agreed.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI think we had a great night. I think we did,\u201d he said. \u201cGod, I was nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

For a transcript of the debate, click here<\/a>. You can watch the full debate right here:<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n