Simi Valley, Calif. — Lindsey Graham is channeling his good friend John McCain as he seeks to capitalize on a solid debate performance Wednesday.

Graham, who barely registers 1 percent support in national polls, had arguably the best performance in the second undercard debate. In the first debate, the normally gregarious South Carolina senator came off as strangely subdued and spoke in a monotone. But the old Graham was back on Monday, cracking jokes and asserting himself on foreign policy issues.

But the question remains: Can Graham build momentum from here? In the spin room, Graham and his campaign team described a path to victory similar to the one McCain took in 2008: come from behind, with a special focus on New Hampshire.

“John McCain was fifth in a four person race. I saw how he came back,” Graham told reporters. “I’m gonna do 100 town halls, I’m gonna go to bar mitzvahs, weddings, whatever you’ve got. You’ve got a formal divorce I’m gonna come to that. I’m gonna meet as many people as I can in New Hampshire.”

McCain and Graham are close friends, and the former Republican nominee spent the weekend stumping with Graham in the Granite State.

#share#Graham senior advisor Bob Heckman acknowledged that Graham was channeling McCain a “little bit.”

Graham is not the only candidate seeking to claim McCain’s mantle. Chris Christie is also working out of the McCain playbook, camping out in New Hampshire and holding an endless series of town halls with voters.

Graham has a long way to go to get anywhere in the GOP primary — he polls poorly even in his home state of South Carolina. But Heckman said he’s sure Graham will have his moment.

“He hasn’t had his day yet. . . . We will,” he said.

— Alexis Levinson is a senior political reporter for National Review.