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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.
Published in Politics
The only thing we can say with confidence regarding this photo is that it’s a Democrat in the Klan regalia.
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.
Thing is, even Michael Jackson eventually refrained from appearing in blackface…
The man in the blackface plausibly looks like someone pretending to be Michael Jackson.
Does he remember where this dance contest was? How did he get there? Who else was there?
(Pops popcorn, settles in)
Who else was there? Probably Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford
Northam staying on as Governor is the best possible outcome for Republicans.
Unless CNN succeeds in convincing everyone he’s a Republican.
The best part of his defense is “That’s not me in blackface, I wore blackface on completely different occasions.”
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?’
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’.
Popcorn, please.
This is the best train wreck since Skyfall.
Ouch:
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.
Oh, boy!
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:
You can’t take the piñata away now. The party has just started.
Every time I reread this I can’t help but laugh. This is gold.
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.
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.
Yep.
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.
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.
And here I thought we couldn’t top Terry McAuliffe as Governor.
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. ]
It is for me, too.
Can you tell me where we’re winning the culture wars?
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.”
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.