Endorsement I'm really proud of. CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE PAT RYAN.

Hi David -- Yesterday, Moms Demand Action added me to their list of candidates they're supporting. That means a lot to me, especially after I've taken an outspoken position on stopping gun violence, bucking the "DC conventional wisdom" that you can't talk about guns in places like NY-19. Now less than 90 days from the primary. Thanks to your support, the campaign is going really well. 

 

Every day is a sprint. And we have a major deadline on Saturday--my FINAL quarterly filing deadline before the primary. (Honestly, I don't think anyone is more excited than I am that this is the last one.)

 

It's going to take more than money to win. Which is why I told my team I want to knock on thousands of doors before the primary. 

 

Conor Lamb's win in a district that Trump won by 20 points still has me fired up. He did it because earned the trust of voters that Dems haven't been able to reach in a while. I'm following a similar path in my race (in a district Trump won by 7). My approach is getting noticed. Charlie Cook (one of the top political forecasters) ranks me as a front-runner in the primary and I've earned the backing of former DCCC Chairman Steve Israel.

 

Truly: THANK YOU.

 

Best,

Pat

patryanforcongress.com

 

 

 

 

 

AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION- THE VALUE OF PUBLIC PHILOSOPHY.

(I AM A MEMBER.- DAVID.)

Dear DAVID,

I am writing today to let you know that the APA board of officers has approved the following statement, which was proposed by the committee on public philosophy and the committee on the status and future of the profession:

The American Philosophical Association values philosophers' participation in the public arena. This includes work that engages with contemporary issues as well as work that brings traditional philosophies to non-traditional settings. Public philosophy may also bring the discipline into dialogue with other humanities, the arts, natural sciences, social sciences, and interested people outside of academia. Public philosophy is done in a variety of traditional and non-traditional media. Public philosophy can be especially valuable when it reaches populations that tend not to have access to philosophy and philosophers. Further, the APA notes that public philosophy raises the profile of the discipline, the scholar, and the home institution.

The APA encourages departments, colleges, and universities to recognize public philosophy as a growing site of scholarly involvement. To that end, the APA encourages institutions to develop standards for evaluating and practices for rewarding public philosophy in decisions regarding promotion, tenure, and salary, so that faculty members who are interested in this work may, if they choose, pursue it with appropriate recognition and without professional discouragement or penalty. Although peer-reviewed scholarly publications remain central to the profession, the APA applauds philosophers' contributions to public policy, to consultation with government, medical, business, and civil society institutions, and to public opinion in general. Public philosophy presented or published outside of standard academic venues has evident value as external service to the profession and/or community. But we also urge institutions to consider broadening their standards for evidence of excellence in research and teaching and to consider whether their faculty’s work in public philosophy is more properly counted as contributing to these latter categories of faculty evaluation.

We encourage you to use this statement as a tool in your own institution to advocate for policies and practices that recognize public philosophy and all scholars who do publicly engaged work.

All the best,

Amy E. Ferrer

Executive Director

This isn't about politics or fundraising. CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE JASON RITTEREISER.

(AS YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED, I HAVE SUSPENDED MY RULE AGAINST PUBLISHING ANY REQUESTS

FOR DONATIONS. THIS RARELY HAPPENS, BUT I THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE IN THIS CASE.)

David,

Tonight I’m taking a few hours off of the campaign trail for something much more important than political fundraising deadlines.

Earlier this year, Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel McCartney was killed in the line of duty and his loss has been felt throughout our community. Please take a moment to read this touching obituary from his family.

I grew up in a law enforcement family, so my dad and I will be attending a concert tonight to benefit Deputy McCartney’s wife and three sons. If you’re in the area and can attend, I encourage you to do so. If you can’t make it, please consider making a donation to the legacy fund established by TAPCO Credit Union in his honor. I know anything you can give to help Tytus, Tate, and Traxton will be greatly appreciated.

SURVEYS AND POLLS. Rules to live by. #1.

MANIPULATING THE RESULTS IS TO EASY.

This should be a given, but it is often not reported or ignored; That Survey or Poll results can be greatly influenced by the Tactics of those conducting them.

Example-  How often do you here a poll prefaced by the words like...

"... among registered..."

"...survey of likely voters..."

"...who identify themselves as.."

"...popularity among age groups..."

What do they all have in common? They tell us virtually nothing.

-  Where did the questioning take place?  Particularly, the "COMMUNITY."  Even in a small city or town, political differences can vary greatly, so knowing the exact locations can give us an indication about the validity of reported results.

-  How much of the information acquired about those who were interviewed or polled, was self- reported or unverifiable?

-  What were the guidelines or standards set that could disqualify an individuals answers from being included in the final results?

-  If there was more than a single question asked, was each individual asked ALL of them, or did previous answers influence the length of the interview?

-  What protocols were in place to guarantee that the Interviewers or Pollsters followed proper procedures?

NEVER ASSUME THAT POLL RESULTS, EVEN IF THEY ARE IN FAVOR OF YOUR POINT OF VIEW, WERE CONDUCTED WITHOUT BIAS, WITH ALL SIDES TREATED FAIRLY. TO OFTEN THIS LEAVES US WONDERING...

..."WHERE DID IT ALL GO WRONG?"