Northam Reverses: Now Claims He Isn’t in the Racist Photo; Refuses to Resign

 

A day after Gov. Ralph Northam apologized for being in a racist yearbook photo (either as a man in blackface or in a Klan outfit), the Virginia Democrat now claims he’s “not the person in that photo.” Northam read a prepared statement inside the Executive Mansion in Richmond Saturday to explain himself:

He said part of the reason he thinks that is, is because he vividly remembers another situation where he blackened his face to portray Michael Jackson at a dance contest in San Antonio in 1984, after graduating from Eastern Virginia Medical School.

“You remember these things,” he said.

(Michael Jackson? Perhaps Northam should have started with the man in the mirror, asking him to change his ways.)

Last night saw Democrats throughout Virginia and the nation asking the governor to resign, and rumors were floating he would do just that on Saturday. Needless to say, this turnabout has left his former allies more than a little confused:

Earlier in the day, Virginia Sen. Louise Lucas who represents Portsmouth said Northam had called her this morning and said he wouldn’t step down.

“I’m not going to resign because it’s not me in that photo,” Lucas said, recalling what he told her.

She responded: “Then you waited too long to say it wasn’t you.”

Lucas said she was “befuddled” by the call.

“He’s losing even more credibility,” she said.

…Virginia’s Democratic party continued to urge Northam to resign Saturday morning even after it became evident he wouldn’t.

“Governor Northam must end this chapter immediately, step down, and let Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax heal Virginia’s wounds and move us forward,” they said on Twitter.

Will Northam remain as governor? Stay tuned.

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  1. David Deeble Member
    David Deeble
    @DavidDeeble

    The only thing we can say with confidence regarding this photo is that it’s a Democrat in the Klan regalia. 

    • #1
  2. DrewInWisconsin Member
    DrewInWisconsin
    @DrewInWisconsin

    The Democrats were fine with his support of infanticide a few days ago and promptly circled the wagons. 

    Blackface 35 years ago? That’s what’s unforgivable.

    • #2
  3. David Deeble Member
    David Deeble
    @DavidDeeble

    Thing is, even Michael Jackson eventually refrained from appearing in blackface…

    • #3
  4. Skyler Coolidge
    Skyler
    @Skyler

    The man in the blackface plausibly looks like someone pretending to be Michael Jackson.

    • #4
  5. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Does he remember where this dance contest was? How did he get there? Who else was there? 

    • #5
  6. Chris Campion Coolidge
    Chris Campion
    @ChrisCampion

    (Pops popcorn, settles in)

    • #6
  7. DrewInWisconsin Member
    DrewInWisconsin
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Percival (View Comment):

    Does he remember where this dance contest was? How did he get there? Who else was there?

    Who else was there? Probably Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford

    • #7
  8. Eustace C. Scrubb Member
    Eustace C. Scrubb
    @EustaceCScrubb

    Northam staying on as Governor is the best possible outcome for Republicans. 

    • #8
  9. DrewInWisconsin Member
    DrewInWisconsin
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Eustace C. Scrubb (View Comment):

    Northam staying on as Governor is the best possible outcome for Republicans.

    Unless CNN succeeds in convincing everyone he’s a Republican.

    • #9
  10. DrewInWisconsin Member
    DrewInWisconsin
    @DrewInWisconsin

    The best part of his defense is “That’s not me in blackface, I wore blackface on completely different occasions.”

    • #10
  11. Jimmy Carter Member
    Jimmy Carter
    @JimmyCarter

    Percival (View Comment):

    Does he remember where this dance contest was? How did he get there? Who else was there?

    You may ask Yerself, ‘what is that beautiful house?’
    You may ask Yerself, ‘where does that highway lead to?’
    You may ask Yerself, ‘am I right, am I wrong?’
    You may say to Yerself, ‘My God, what have I done?’

    • #11
  12. WI Con Member
    WI Con
    @WICon

    Great – I was afraid having him resign would draw attention from the infanticide policy the Democrats are advocating (nationwide?). Let this fester, we can hang the infanticide around their necks like a ‘Northam Necklace’.

    • #12
  13. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Popcorn, please.

    This is the best train wreck since Skyfall.

    • #13
  14. DrewInWisconsin Member
    DrewInWisconsin
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Ouch:

    • #14
  15. Henry Racette Member
    Henry Racette
    @HenryRacette

    I won’t deny that it’s fun to watch the woke left eat its own for breakfast, but I’ll add that I don’t think the Governor should be driven from office because of a costume choice he made as a student. This retroactive hypersensitivity is stupid, even when applied to leftists.

    • #15
  16. DrewInWisconsin Member
    DrewInWisconsin
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Oh, boy!

    • #16
  17. DrewInWisconsin Member
    DrewInWisconsin
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    I won’t deny that it’s fun to watch the woke left eat its own for breakfast, but I’ll add that I don’t think the Governor should be driven from office because of a costume choice he made as a student. This retroactive hypersensitivity is stupid, even when applied to leftists.

    Make them live up to their own rules. Isn’t that what’s written in their holy book?

    Here. This is nearly two years old, but it applies here as well: http://ace.mu.nu/archives/369999.php

    Excerpt, but read the whole thing:

    Many of us . . . have been pushing an idea of unilateral disarmament in this arena, hoping they would just learn how awful and venomous they are.

    But they don’t. I think they take a rather different lesson from our passive resistance than the one they intended.

    We intended that by passively resisting, they would see us as showing moral courage and would learn from us that ceaseless violence and bullying and collectivized political campaigns run against everyday citizens pursuing no public office are wrong.

    But they didn’t learn that.

    What our self-restraint has taught them is quite the opposite–when we refuse to fight back, they take that as signalling deep down, we know they’re right and that we are the monsters, and thus, our refusal to engage them in the fight they’ve started does not prove our moral rightness, but instead our moral corruption.

    We think: We are showing them a better way by acting in a manner that’s morally superior.

    They infer: They are submitting to us as if they are our inferiors, therefore they must know that they are in fact our inferiors.

    We cannot keep deluding ourselves into pursuing a course of action which, while appearing morally righteous and principled . . . , is in fact bringing more suffering upon ourselves and only encouraging the behavior we thought our peaceable approach was actually discouraging.

    This path is not stopping the Social Justice Warrior Cult of Racist Hatred — it’s fueling it.

    We shall have One Law in this country, or none at all.

    If these tactics are permissible — and effective, as they certainly appear to be — then they are permissible for all, not just a special privileged group of Empowered Snowflake Warriors.

    If it’s permissible to pressure corporations into firing people and cancelling appearances for leftist groups, then surely it is permissible for the right to do likewise.

    Only when they start seeing themselves blacklisted for employment will these morally senseless people learn that blacklisting is bad. They do not have moral sense, but I trust most of them are not so stupid that they don’t possess a basic practical regard for their own self-interest.

    If you want the Culture of Ceaseless Social War to stop — which i dearly do — then I propose it is necessary to engage in it ourselves, until they sue for (at long last!) peace.

    • #17
  18. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    I won’t deny that it’s fun to watch the woke left eat its own for breakfast, but I’ll add that I don’t think the Governor should be driven from office because of a costume choice he made as a student. This retroactive hypersensitivity is stupid, even when applied to leftists.

    You can’t take the piñata away now. The party has just started.

    • #18
  19. Dave of Barsham Member
    Dave of Barsham
    @LesserSonofBarsham

    David Deeble (View Comment):

    Thing is, even Michael Jackson eventually refrained from appearing in blackface…

    Every time I reread this I can’t help but laugh. This is gold.

    • #19
  20. Henry Racette Member
    Henry Racette
    @HenryRacette

    DrewInWisconsin (View Comment):

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    I won’t deny that it’s fun to watch the woke left eat its own for breakfast, but I’ll add that I don’t think the Governor should be driven from office because of a costume choice he made as a student. This retroactive hypersensitivity is stupid, even when applied to leftists.

    Make them live up to their own rules. Isn’t that what’s written in their holy book?

    Here. This is nearly two years old, but it applies here as well: http://ace.mu.nu/archives/369999.php

    Actually, I’d rather encourage everyone to live by sensible rules. I don’t respect these overly sensitive crybabies who take offense at every bit of tastelessness, and I won’t pile on with them.

    • #20
  21. George Townsend Inactive
    George Townsend
    @GeorgeTownsend

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    I won’t deny that it’s fun to watch the woke left eat its own for breakfast, but I’ll add that I don’t think the Governor should be driven from office because of a costume choice he made as a student. This retroactive hypersensitivity is stupid, even when applied to leftists.

    I agree with this. However, I still think he should resign. Not because of this, but because of his condoning infanticide. And the people urging him to resign should switch to this reason, instead of the photo, for their call. Of course they won’t. But they should. The wrong message is being sent. The value of life is more important than the disgusting display this disgusting made at age 25.

    • #21
  22. tigerlily Member
    tigerlily
    @tigerlily

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    I won’t deny that it’s fun to watch the woke left eat its own for breakfast, but I’ll add that I don’t think the Governor should be driven from office because of a costume choice he made as a student. This retroactive hypersensitivity is stupid, even when applied to leftists.

    Yep.

    • #22
  23. DrewInWisconsin Member
    DrewInWisconsin
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin (View Comment):

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    I won’t deny that it’s fun to watch the woke left eat its own for breakfast, but I’ll add that I don’t think the Governor should be driven from office because of a costume choice he made as a student. This retroactive hypersensitivity is stupid, even when applied to leftists.

    Make them live up to their own rules. Isn’t that what’s written in their holy book?

    Here. This is nearly two years old, but it applies here as well: http://ace.mu.nu/archives/369999.php

    Actually, I’d rather encourage everyone to live by sensible rules. I don’t respect these overly sensitive crybabies who take offense at every bit of tastelessness, and I won’t pile on with them.

    Then you will always lose.

    When someone has a metaphorical gun to your head, you don’t convince him to lower his weapon by lowering yours. He will not be moved by you disarming yourself. You’re only signalling that you surrender.

    • #23
  24. tigerlily Member
    tigerlily
    @tigerlily

    DrewInWisconsin (View Comment):

    Eustace C. Scrubb (View Comment):

    Northam staying on as Governor is the best possible outcome for Republicans.

    Unless CNN succeeds in convincing everyone he’s a Republican.

    I don’t know how TV broadcasting works, but it’s hard to see how a major network could make such an obvious error.

     

    • #24
  25. DrewInWisconsin Member
    DrewInWisconsin
    @DrewInWisconsin

    tigerlily (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin (View Comment):

    Eustace C. Scrubb (View Comment):

    Northam staying on as Governor is the best possible outcome for Republicans.

    Unless CNN succeeds in convincing everyone he’s a Republican.

    I don’t know how TV broadcasting works, but it’s hard to see how a major network could make such an obvious error.

    Unless it wasn’t done in error. In which case it’s perfectly clear to see.

    • #25
  26. Basil Fawlty Member
    Basil Fawlty
    @BasilFawlty

    And here I thought we couldn’t top Terry McAuliffe as Governor.

    • #26
  27. Henry Racette Member
    Henry Racette
    @HenryRacette

    DrewInWisconsin (View Comment):

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin (View Comment):

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    I won’t deny that it’s fun to watch the woke left eat its own for breakfast, but I’ll add that I don’t think the Governor should be driven from office because of a costume choice he made as a student. This retroactive hypersensitivity is stupid, even when applied to leftists.

    Make them live up to their own rules. Isn’t that what’s written in their holy book?

    Here. This is nearly two years old, but it applies here as well: http://ace.mu.nu/archives/369999.php

    Actually, I’d rather encourage everyone to live by sensible rules. I don’t respect these overly sensitive crybabies who take offense at every bit of tastelessness, and I won’t pile on with them.

    Then you will always lose.

    When someone has a metaphorical gun to your head, you don’t convince him to lower his weapon by lowering yours. He will not be moved by you disarming yourself. You’re only signalling that you surrender.

    Drew, this stuff is so tiresome. Look, I understand that you and I don’t necessarily agree on the best way to achieve what are almost certainly common goals that we both share. That’s fine. But this “you will always lose” nonsense is such a bore. Let’s accept that neither you nor I has all the answers; that we might value different things and so want to preserve and defend different aspects of our culture; and then back off just a little.

    If some liberal keys my car because of my Make America Great Again bumper sticker, I’m not going to go key a random car sporting an Another Ignoramus for Bernie bumper sticker in retaliation. That’s not how I want to live.

    [ No, I don’t have a Make America Great Again bumper sticker on my Yukon. I don’t want to get keyed. ]

    • #27
  28. DrewInWisconsin Member
    DrewInWisconsin
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    Drew, this stuff is so tiresome.

    It is for me, too.

    Can you tell me where we’re winning the culture wars?

    • #28
  29. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    tigerlily (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin (View Comment):

    Eustace C. Scrubb (View Comment):

    Northam staying on as Governor is the best possible outcome for Republicans.

    Unless CNN succeeds in convincing everyone he’s a Republican.

    I don’t know how TV broadcasting works, but it’s hard to see how a major network could make such an obvious error.

    AFAIK those chyrons are entered by drones working behind the scenes with some rapidity.  It’s certainly possible that it was an innocent error or an individual intentional “mistake.”

    • #29
  30. DrewInWisconsin Member
    DrewInWisconsin
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    [ No, I don’t have a Make America Great Again bumper sticker on my Yukon. I don’t want to get keyed. ]

    I will not let anyone know my political views because I fear.

    And thus you willingly allow yourself to be silenced.

    I understand. I have the same fear. But why are we afraid of them and they’re not afraid of us? Because they know we don’t hit back. They advance, we give them ground.

    We have to turn that around. Even if it means using their own methods.

    We can negotiate for peace after we win. Then we’d be negotiating from a winning position.

     

    • #30
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