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Here in Roswell we just finished up canvassing and calling as the polls closed. Looks like Obama has got it,. BIG.

I talked to my son and he said Wendy Davis is projected winner. THAT'S HUGE for Tarrant County, the State of Texas and hopefully the whole country in a couple of years.

People here are sooo happy to be through here and proud of what we've done. Headed to a party at the local Elks Club. This county is about as conservative as it gets and Demo's are hoping to pickup some state seats.

Ridge Dickey
www.dystopian-paradox.com

  Sunday, November 2

Yesterday was my seventh day canvassing and time is going fast. Only today and tomorrow to canvass and then a bunch of work on election day.

General Wesley Clark is staging a get-out-the-vote rally today at 11 am at the MIA-POA Park. What's amazing is that after the rally, he will be canvassing for several hours along with the rest of us. My theory has always been that to be a great leader, you have to be willing to do the grunt work along with those whom you lead.

Some would classify General Clark as an overachiever because he's risen to the top of every venture he's ever been involved in. To me, an overachiever is someone who finds themselves in a position they are aren't qualified for. George W. Bush meets my definition of overachiever.

By contrast, General Clark and Barack Obama are people who continue to realize their potential. They are leaders who attract me. I'm willing to follow them and with enthusiasm.

It's becoming more and more fun out here as time grows short, even though most of the day is spent in the trenches. But everytime I meet an Obama supporter at their front door, I get a great payoff that makes the work seem more than worthwhile.

Ridge Dickey www.dystopian-paradow.com

Tuesday, October 28

Yesterday, I canvassed one set of walksheets in the morning and one in the afternoon. I had no problem sleeping last night.

A lady who lives across the street from where I am staying has had as many as seven out-of-town volunteers crashing at her place at a time. We got to meet each other and talk last night. Great lady.

She's now a medical examiner for the county for 18 years. Prior to that, she was with the police and worked her way up against all odds because she's a she. Old ways die hard and it's people with true grit who bring about change.

The volunteers staying with her are from LA, Arizona, Austin and Chicago and other places. People from all over the country are answering the call for change. No telling how many out-of-state volunteers are in Ohio.

All work and no play sucks. Yesterday evening, three of us were kidding around about 5pm at the office and they were bringing up ObamaLantern stencils on their computers. The raw material is a real pumpkin. If you want to make one, you can find patterns on the Internet. One of my new friends, a lady from Austin, says she's dressing up on Halloween. I have a beard and my bike helmet with me. I'm wearing it and my huge fitover sunglasses and arriving Friday as the Unibomber on a bicycle.

Unofficial word last night was that in Albuquerque, the Demos are out-voting the Repubs 2 to 1 in early voting. That's a good sign but no one is letting up here is Roswell.

I started working in Roswell today. Got here yesterday evening and stayed in a Motel Six, which is false advertising. Should be called Motel Zero. I asked for the first floor and all they had was one for the handicapped. The deskclerk said the difference was that it had a walkin shower. I didn't know there was any other kind.

I said Ok and got the stuff from my car and used the card key to get in the room. It wasn't a walk in shower. It was a walkin bathroom about 7 feet square all white tile floor and walls with a head, a small sink with no counter space, a shower head on the end of a hose, a white plastic chair and two drains in the floor. It wasn't for the handicapped. It was for the criminally insane.

The whole room, bedding, bathroom and everything else stunk like bordertown bordello perfume. I stayed the night and never got used to the stink.

People here are great. Several Texans have worked here and they need us. The Obama campaign is getting more local volunteers than the local Democratic party. But we need more so come on over if you can. Robert is the Obama paid field organizer here and his phone number is 575 680 6197. He would love to here from you.

I spent the day walking mainly urging people to vote early. NM's early voting goes through next Saturday. The primary concern is complacency because Obama's leading in the polls. NM is a battleground state and both Obama and McCain were through here yesterday.

They'll be working here all day November 4 getting people to the polls, so I'm going to see it through. I'll miss being in Fort Worth election night.

Let's hope that in 2008, Barack will be running for a second term and Texas is a battleground state. Or even better, it's already turned a deep true blue.

Ridge Dickey

www.dystopian-paradox.com

Day 3 and we are doin great. The local office here in Denver is spilling over with volunteers. I've meet people from New Hampshire, to Connecticut, to California and beyond. And the Texans keep on coming there's several of us now and a dozen more are to come soon. The reactions on the street have been great. Colorado is rich with Obama supporters. But I am confident we can find more. And with that in mind I have to go now back on the canvassing trail. I hope everyone in Tarrant County is doing well and staying motivated. We sure are. Go Blue. Go Obama. YES WE CAN!

Where can I find signs for my yard?  Please advise.

CNN reported this morning that its poll indicated Obama won the debate in all catagories.  The most memorable piece of dialog from last night will probably be McCain's reference to Obama as "That one!"

 Check out the CNN analysis at http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/08/debate.analysis/index.html

Ridge Dickey

www.dystopian-paradox.com

To coincide with the Biden-Palin debate, and in  honor of the apt Biden zinger from the convention,  we offer a  dusty memento of the old West (with apologies to Gabby Hayes and Roy Rogers).

      My son served and returned from Iraq about 2 years ago.  His base was near Falllujah.  We live in Texas but have relatives in Indiana.  We visited my husband’s brother and his wife in Washington, Indiana, after my son had been home two months.  We thought he was fine.  He had made it back safe!  Before we left Indiana to go back to Bedford, Texas, he started getting sick.

     We left Washington and stopped in Illinois at a VA hospital when it became clear my son was not going to be able to make the trip by car all the way to Texas.  My son was misdiagnosed at the VA hospital and his condition declined.  Nurses told us to take him out of there.  After flying home to Texas and being admitted to a civilian hospital, they discovered he had a perforated colon.  They had to perform emergency surgery to save his life.  The VA hospital is currently under investigation and all surgeries have been suspended.

     This has been a nightmare for us trying to push through the red tape and bureaucracy to get my son the care he needs.  After the experience at the IL VA hospital there was no way we were going to trust another VA hospital.  The insurance for the military is very limited and most doctors do not accept it.  We wrote letters to several Senators.  The first one to respond was the office of Barack Obama asking what they could do to help us.   

     My son wore two colostomy bags for 13 months and has had 5 surgeries one of which was to remove his colon.  He is still recovering from the disease which started in Iraq and the surgeries which began at the VA hospital due to incompetence   We believe  that if it wasn’t for the actions of Senator Barack Obama my son would have died.  They enabled us to find a surgeon and hospital of our choice without having to work through the insurance or VA system.

McCain has decided to debate.

 After talking to Paulson etc this a.m., Barack told reporters:

“My strong sense is that the best thing that I can do, rather than to inject presidential politics into some delicate negotiations, is to go down to Mississippi and explain to the American people what is going on and my vision for leading the country over the next four years,” Mr. Obama told reporters aboard his plane. “I’m looking forward to the debate and look forward after the debate to coming back to Washington and hopefully getting a package done." Mr. Obama said he was encouraged

 Ridge Dickey