Panhandle Truth Squad

Spacedark, Spacedark’s S.O., Spacedark, Jr., and assorted friends decided at the last minute to go see John Kerry in Las Cruces, New Mexico. One of our group managed to get us “red-zone” tickets which were supposed to be close enough to feel the sweat as it dripped off Kerry’s forehead. We arrived early to a line that already stretched around the parking lot. Apparently, ten thousand attendees had been planned for and 17,000 showed up, according to the local news. The Albuquerque Journal claimed the expected number but they apparently didn’t talk to those of us who didn’t make it through security because of the surprisingly large turnout.

That’s right, despite our "red zone" tickets we had to stand outside a second chain-link fence. We could see Kerry, albeit from a bit of a distance. We had binoculars. And of course we could hear the fantastic speech. An astronomer in our group cheered Kerry’s vow to restore scientific integrity. And people who know better than I seemed satisfied with Kerry’s español.

Apparently, there was no “red-zone.” Some of our group did get inside the fence, but, once there, it was just one big group. Some people were given better tickets for volunteering with the local party, and they were also disappointed. Better planning by the local party would have been nice. It also would have been nice if the media had more consistently told the truth about the size of the rally. But Spacedark, Jr. put it in perspective. He said it certainly wasn't a reason not to vote for John Kerry; it was a reason not to vote for Las Cruces.

SPACEDARK