Next Meeting

[CBCDC (cbcdc]

Join us at the next CBCDC meeting

Next Meeting

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Baltimore County Democratic Headquarters

301 Allegheny Avenue in Towson

6:30 pm

Our July, August, September and October meetings will be held at the Baltimore County Democratic Headquarters at 301 Allegheny Avenue in Towson.

The entrance to parking is off Bosley and the entrance to HQ is from the parking lot. We will socialize at 6:30 p.m., have a brief business meeting at 7 p.m. and then those who wish to will phone bank for President Obama. For those who do not wish to call, there will be other things to do that will be helpful to local and national campaigns.

http://www.facebook.com/events/476669162344859/

 

The August Newsletter is now available. Click on the link below to open the newsletter as a PDF file or scroll down to read.

 

http://www.cbcdc.org/newsletters/CBCDC%20August%20Newsletter.pdf

 

 

		DEMOCRAT Central Baltimore County’s Democratic Club Newsletter
Our july phonebank was a huge success! we’ll be back on august 14th		In This Issue

Don’t take the summer off! After a great night helping to support our president, CBCDC rejoins the Baltimore County OFA team at 301 Allegheny Ave. to Dial for Dems.

Office manager (and CBCDC Board Member) Vivienne Davis says the office still needs plenty of help and there are a number of ways to get involved that don’t involve calling or canvassing.

If you can lend a hand for one of these activities (or join them for one of their weekly phone banks – 6-9 PM every Wednesday and Thursday), stop in or call the office at 410-252-1302. Vivienne could sure use a hand!

And if you have a few dollars you can chip in, Baltimore County OFA is having a wine and cheese fundraiser on August 28^th from 7 to 9 PM at the office. They need to raise $600 to cover the cost of campaign signs, stickers, and the other election goodies that voters and volunteers love.

Finally, The Baltimore County Democratic Central Committee Needs You to volunteer at the Maryland State Fair! If you can lend a hand at the Maryland Democrats booth at the Timonium Fairgrounds, contact Scott Sokol at ssokol310 [at] gmail.com. Volunteers are needed for all dates and times, so give whatever time you can spare.

The fair runs August 24^th through September 2^nd. It’s a great time and volunteers get free admission to the Fair.

Stay active. Stay involved. And stay tuned for next month’s newsletter, where we’ll cover special session and other topics of interest.

How ‘Bout Dem O’s?

There is actually nothing in this issue about the Orioles, but it’s August and they’re contending for a playoff spot. If that isn’t good news, the CBCDC editorial staff doesn’t know what is.

What Facts?

Jim Kehl discusses the difference between how liberals and conservatives craft arguments when debating politics.

Page 3

We’re making it easy for you to volunteer to get the President re-elected!  Come to our August 14^th meeting at the Democratic HQ at 301 Allegheny Ave. in Towson and pitch in. There is plenty of work to be done.  We had a great turnout in July with some members calling and some helping with the database. Arrive at 6:30 for socializing.

Attorney General Doug Gansler will join us on September 11. Please come out to give him a big Baltimore County welcome. We’ll be at 301 Allegheny again with snacking and chatting starting at 6:30. We expect AG Gansler to speak soon after 7 p.m. 

In October, we’ll be at HQ again for more “down-to-the-wire” work for the campaign.  We haven’t finalized our plans for the November 13 meeting, but we expect that part of it will be a victory celebration! 

Submission Policy

This newsletter is created by a handful of volunteers who make every attempt to publish factual information, and who wish to encourage the free exchange of information and opinions. However, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by contributors to this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the CBCDC or official policies of the club. All images taken from public domain, press kits or used with permission. Please send submissions to newsletter editor  at stegmata [at] gmail.com. The deadline for all submissions is 14 days before the monthly meeting or the 23rd of each month.

Upcoming Meetings

July 10 & Aug 14 – Dial for Dems

Come volunteer at the Baltimore County Democratic Party office and make phone calls for President Obama and our Democratic team. 2012 is an incredibly important election and CBCDC is going to do its part.

Sept. 11 – Doug Gansler

Attorney General – and likely 2014 Gubernatorial candidate – Doug Gansler visits CBCDC for our September meeting.

 

CBCDC’s August, September, and October meetings will not take place at the Carver Center. We’ll be at the Baltimore County OFA office at:

301 Allegheny Ave.

Towson, MD 21202

Contact a board member if you need directions.

 

Eric Alterman’s article entitled “The Washington Post’s Problem,” that appeared in the July 16/23, 2012 issue of The Nation eloquently articulated many of my differences with the conservative writers and their adherents.  The thesis of Mr. Alterman’s article is that the Washington Post may have harmed its reputation for adherence to high professional standards by employing Jennifer Rubin as its “conservative blogger.” 

The article mentioned the conservatives’ tendency to place ideology above independent research and logical analysis is the reason that there are not more conservative journalists and academics.  A good analyst does her/his best to ascertain the facts and then rigorously analyze those facts in accordance with his values.  To borrow Mr. Alterman’s words, “to be a good journalist or scholar, one must be willing to follow one’s research wherever it may lead.”  Conservatives do not do this.  Conservatives begin with an “ideological” assertion that is followed by vehement denunciations of the people perceived to disagree with them.  They frequently base their arguments on gossip or rumors. 

The conservative anti-Obama letter I referred to in my last column is an example of this.  The writer first asserted that things are not “fine” without defining what “fine” is.  The writer then said her perceived opponent, which was the SUN, was stupid.  None of this was based on any analysis of facts.

This process results in many conservatives coming to incorrect conclusions.  Two of these instances cited in Alterman’s article are two recent polls stating that approximately 63% of Republican respondents believe that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and that a similar number of those respondents do not think President Obama was born in the United States.  These are not differences of opinion.  These are incorrect facts.  Sometimes one person is right and another person is wrong.  My own example of this concerns General Ulysses S. Grant.  I have explained that the statement that General Grant was a great military commander is an opinion whereas the statement that General Gant fought in World War I is an incorrect statement.   

I have no quarrel with a conservative who ascertains the facts, logically applies his values to those facts and comes to a different conclusion than I do.  Most people will realize the difference between us is due to our different values.  My problems with conservatives are:  1) laziness in gathering the facts; 2) using name calling as a substitute for refutation of an opponent’s opinion; and 3) using evidence that is gossip or rumors.  Instead of using reason and logic to derive a conclusion, conservatives do it backwards.  They decide the conclusion and then try to construct an analysis that fits their pre-determined conclusion.

I have not seen this frequently occurring on the progressive side of the spectrum.  I can proudly say that our own newsletter supports this assertion.  In recent months, you have read my column that chided the Maryland legislature.  You have also read Matt Stegman’s column that enunciated his differences with a State Senator who is a Democrat. 

Whether one agrees with our opinions or not, it must be recognized that these articles were honest attempts to apply our values to our understanding of the facts.  More examples of this are needed on the conservative side of the spectrum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

___ I (we) would like to help support the CBCDC by renewing my (our) annual dues. Enclosed, please find my (our) annual dues of $___. ___ I (we) have also included an additional $___ as a donation to the club and/or the Political Action Committee. Name: _____________________________________________________ Address:____________________________________________________ City:___________________________________State:_____Zip:________ Home Phone:____________________Cell Phone:____________________ Email:_______________________________________________________ (CBCDC Sends out its monthly newsletter by email to reduce our carbon footprint and save much-needed funds. If you want to receive your copy by mail, please let Judy Harris know: jharris341 [at] aol.com or 410-853-7717.)