page_title: Ryan J. Davis
section_title: Politics and activism
hierarchical_section_title: Ryan J. Davis / Politics and activism
caption_attribution_description: English: The February 21, 2008 La Puenta Dinner
context_page_description: Ryan J. Davis is an American theater director, writer, political consultant, and progressive activist. In 2006, a musical he conceived, White Noise received positive reviews and was featured on Good Morning America and ABC Primetime Live. In 2007 Davis' satirical attack ad against Rudy Giuliani, "Gays For Giuliani," received media attention from CNN, MSNBC, and a feature in The Washington Post. He is a contributing writer for The Huffington Post and The Hill, and writes for his blog, Ryan J. Davis Blogs.
context_section_description: In 2003, Davis joined Howard Dean's Presidential campaign and along with Zephyr Teachout and David Welch traveled to over thirty-five states on a grassroots tour of America, called The Drive For Democracy. Davis worked on the Dean Campaign in New Media, taking pictures and blogging about the tour. In the CNN Documentary on the Dean Campaign, True Believers, Davis describes how he came to be a part of the campaign; "I packed up all my stuff. I rented a car. And I drove up here."
  After Dean's primary defeat, Ryan returned to Salisbury, Maryland to serve as Campaign Manager on Chesapeake City Town Councilman Harry Sampson's unsuccessful campaign for Congress in Maryland's First District.  Davis managed to get Harry Sampson the only newspaper endorsement of the primary and a mention in Wired Magazine for the campaign's innovative use of internet fundraising.
  After returning to New York City, Ryan began blogging at NotGeniuses, along with Joe Rospars and Ezra Klein. It was during this time that he broke the story of the unfair expulsion of James Barnett.  Soon Barnett's situation was picked up by both the mainstream and gay focused press, with national organizations such as the Human Rights Council discussing his situation with Bill O'Reilly.
caption: Don Norte, Ryan J. Davis, Maria Shriver, and Kevin Norte on February 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.
exif: {}