{"id":3868,"date":"2008-10-17T17:26:00","date_gmt":"2008-10-17T23:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/2008\/10\/biden-rallies-southern-nm-voters-for-obama\/"},"modified":"2008-10-17T17:26:00","modified_gmt":"2008-10-17T23:26:00","slug":"biden-rallies-southern-nm-voters-for-obama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2008\/10\/biden-rallies-southern-nm-voters-for-obama\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden rallies southern NM voters for Obama"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Following today\u2019s rally featuring Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden<\/a> in Mesilla, a couple hundred supporters of Barack Obama<\/a> and John McCain<\/a> had a verbal standoff. <\/p>\n

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

On one side were anti-abortion activists and McCain supporters armed with signs and graphic photographs of aborted fetuses. On the other side were energetic Obama supporters coming off the high of having just watched Biden give a rousing speech.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cSave lives, stop the war!\u201d Obama supporters chanted.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cSave lives, stop abortion!\u201d McCain supporters countered.<\/p>\n

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

At another point, the McCain supporters chanted \u201cCountry first!\u201d — a common McCain slogan — to which the Obama supporters countered with their own familiar slogan, \u201cYes we can!\u201d The standoff took place in front of the Catholic Basilica of San Albino on the Mesilla<\/st1:placename> Plaza<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:place>.<\/p>\n

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

Several of the McCain supporters actually attended the Biden rally, proudly displaying their McCain\/Palin T-shirts during the event. Additional McCain supporters and the anti-abortion activists joined them on the Mesilla<\/st1:placename> Plaza<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:place> as soon as the Biden rally ended and law enforcement let them through a barricade.<\/p>\n

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

Biden\u2019s speech<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Prior to the standoff, Biden gave a forceful and energetic speech on the plaza full of shots at McCain and substantive policy discussion as he sought to energize voters in southern New Mexico<\/st1:place><\/st1:state>.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cTo turn this country around, folks, it\u2019s going to take not just a new president and vice president, it\u2019s going to take all of us,\u201d Biden told the estimated 2,400 in attendance. \u201c\u2026 We\u2019re not just looking for marginal change, we\u2019re looking for real change.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Biden called this the most important election in 76 years and referred to the struggling economy and the war on terror. He said an Obama\/Biden White House would focus on two priorities: restoring the middle class and reestablishing America<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>\u2019s standing in the world.<\/p>\n

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

Biden was repeatedly critical of the unpopular President Bush<\/a>, who he said has been divisive and damaging. He said the United States<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> can put those times behind it if Americans will unite.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cWe are absolutely confident that we can get through these difficult times, and like every generation before us, come out better for it,\u201d Biden said. \u201c\u2026 Ladies and gentlemen, a lot of Americans have been knocked down, and it\u2019s time we get up together.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Biden had harsh words for McCain as he sought to link the Republican presidential nominee to Bush. He cited McCain\u2019s desire to extend the Bush tax cuts as an example of how the two are similar and said McCain wants to expand tax cuts for the wealthy. Obama, on the other hand, wants to let the Bush tax cuts expire and instead give the 95 percent of Americans who aren\u2019t the wealthiest a tax cut, Biden said.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cIf it looks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck, if it walks like a duck, it\u2019s a duck,\u201d Biden said in comparing McCain to Bush.<\/p>\n

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

Biden shared Obama\u2019s plan to help the economy, which includes a 90-day moratorium on home foreclosures, a tax break for small businesses, a pledge of no new taxes for any family making less than $250,000 a year and the tax cut for 95 percent of Americans who aren\u2019t the wealthiest.<\/p>\n

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

NM politicos say Do\u00f1a<\/st1:placename> Ana<\/st1:placename> County<\/st1:placename><\/st1:place> is critical<\/span><\/p>\n

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

A series of high-profile speakers preceded Biden on stage. Democratic 2nd Congressional District candidate Harry Teague<\/a> reminded those in attendance that there are 18 days until Election Day and urged people to vote.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cDo we want four more years of more of the same, or do we want change for New Mexico<\/st1:place><\/st1:state>\u2019s families?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

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

Jill Cooper, wife of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Tom Udall<\/a>, urged early voting and said, while polls look good for Democrats, they can\u2019t take anything for granted.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cThis election is too important,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s too much at stake.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman<\/a> said Obama and Biden \u201cwill lead us to a better day for America, get us back to what this country can do,\u201d but said Obama and Biden \u201cneed to win Do\u00f1a Ana County big\u201d to make that happen.<\/p>\n

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

Gov. Bill Richardson<\/a>, who introduced Biden and stayed on stage during the candidate\u2019s speech, also suggested that Do\u00f1a<\/st1:placename> Ana<\/st1:placename> County<\/st1:placename> and southern New Mexico<\/st1:state> will be the \u201cdecisive region\u201d in New Mexico<\/st1:place><\/st1:state> in the presidential race. He said the Obama\/Biden ticket is \u201cthe best ticket that we have ever had in modern times.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

I\u2019ll post additional photos from the event later, so check back.<\/p>\n

\n

Update, 11:55 p.m.<\/p>\n

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

Here are some additional photos of Biden:<\/p>\n

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

\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>Obama supporters yelling at McCain supporters during a standoff following the rally:<\/p>\n

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

\"\"<\/a>McCain supporters who shouted back as sheriff\u2019s deputies stood between them and the Obama supporters:<\/p>\n

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

\"\"<\/a>Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> with Biden:<\/p>\n

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

\"\"<\/a>Teague:<\/p>\n

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

\"\"<\/a>Cooper:<\/p>\n

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

\"\"<\/a>Bingaman: <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Following today\u2019s rally featuring Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden in Mesilla, a couple hundred supporters of Barack Obama and John McCain had a verbal standoff. On one side were anti-abortion activists and McCain supporters armed with signs and graphic photographs of aborted fetuses. On the other side were energetic Obama supporters coming off the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3868"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3868\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}