is this election outcome and Governor Northam's remaining in office evidence that Dems can actively stop their own circular firing squads and purity tests?
Did a group of Dems finally realize that something boneheaded a person did in their 20's might not reflect the person they are in their 40's, 50's or 60's?
Did Dems finally wake up to the reality that their demands for criminal justice reform, often based on the fact the criminal was "young" and had changed, was actually a parallel to a person who has served the public for years after a bonehead move and that they, more than the criminal, deserved a modicum of objective reasoning to assess if they had changed since the bonehead decision in their teens or twenties?
I hope so. The biggest problems in the D party revolve around the Dems demanding purity to their specific view of purity and the unrealistic view of who is electable in any given voter base.
In 2020 the battleground states are not progressive states, so ask those pushing for the extremist progressive candidates exactly how they expect to win in those states. Remind them that the popular vote is not the metric of who will become president. Remind them that the groups the Dems need to support the candidates are not the dyed in the wool progressives, but the Independents in the battleground states.
1
First Virginia, next the nation. Vote BIDEN
As a Virginian, not for a minute did I believe that Gov, Ralph Northam should resign due to these uncovered 30 year old yearbook pictures. Gov. Northam is a genuinely good person and his actions after these images were discovered showed that.
This summer I joined hundreds of other Virginians who rode buses to Richmond to support the governor’s call for a special session to address gun violence. Before our buses even reached Arlington on the return trip, we learned that the majority Republican Party had adjourned the session after 90 minutes while not taking up a single bill. That folks is the type of arrogance that ensured a democratic victory on November 5 resulting in both houses of the Virginia Legislature being controlled by the Democratic Party. See you in January 2020 Virginia GOP, we have much to accomplish.
10
I live in Virginia and voted straight Democratic in both 2017 and 2019. I do not regret my vote for Northam. When I saw that yearbook picture, I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. I was angry and I felt betrayed. But there were two things that I considered when I thought about calling for him to resign: 1) in the over 30 years since that photo was taken, Northam has dedicated his life to public service with no (as far as I am aware) accusations of racism or discrimination towards anyone, and 2) while what he did was extremely stupid and just plain wrong, he did not commit a crime. If he had done something like assault someone because of that person’s race, then I would be calling for his resignation and prosecution. I think a lot of my fellow Virginians felt the same way did. Then we accepted his apology and moved forward to make our Commonwealth stronger.
6
From Pariah to unlikely rebirth??? Northam never was a pariah unless you were a Republican in the Virginia legislature. Black Virginians and Democrat Virginians never fell for the disingenuos GOP calls for resignation. Come on! resign for wearing black face in 1985, with no evidence over the following 35 years of any of the rampant racism that is the GOP in Virginia and across the nation?
9
Now he's in the catbird seat instead of sitting at home, unable to ever lift his head again if he had resigned. Moral of the story: Never let anyone brow beat you from your hard earned office. You'll spend your life trying to apologize to the nebulous never satisfied "wokesters"....and fail AND never achieve your previous heights again. Gov. Northam just wrote the playbook on how to accomplish this.
4
Unlikely rebirth, perhaps, but it's not miraculous. First, there's the appeal of the concept of forgiving a sinner who's redeemed himself, many a preacher sells himself as such. Secondly, times and standards on racism have progressed over the years, at lest for many of us. Remember the Amos 'n Andy show, the black character on the Jack Benny show, the guy selling fried chicken; all pretty much gone.
1
This was a tempest in a teapot from the beginning. Northam has a solid record that proves he is no racist. If we are going to fire everyone who made a mistake or two in their life, there will be no one left to run the world. And I have said the same thing about Republicans under similar circumstances, including minor sexual dalliances that have no bearing on job performance.
7
Good thing there is no outrage or hypocrisy among Democrats that would ever cause them to hold one of their own accountable. After all, what's a little blackface among frat boy friends, right? Especially when political power ( for themselves) is at stake.
3
@Fred Rick
I will take a wild guess and assume you have judge Kavanagh in mind. My problem with him is that he committed a felony by lying to Congress under oath. Period. If he had just said “hey, that may have happened, I don’t remember, I did a lot of stupid things back then and I’m sorry” I would not have opposed him on ethical grounds. The difference is enormous.
6
The only one who lied under oath was Ms. Vocal Fry.
1
@Fred Rick There was plenty of outrage among Democrats when the picture came out. They were calling for his head! How convenient for you not to remember; it doesn’t quite fit the narrative you’re going for, wouldn’t you say?
6
Northam is just a liberal version of Trump. Admit nothing. Deny, deny, deny. Let those who support your agenda rally around and protect you from removal from office. Oh.,,, that's exactly what the Senate is going to do for Trump. Thank's for the template Governor!
@Toni
When did Northam sexually assault someone or not pay contractors? I don’t recall my governor committing a crime.
5
He's a Democrat. Leave him alone.
4
More proof that principles don't matter, as long as your tribe gains/holds on to power.
6
You are talking about the radical right GOP?
6
This "scandal" was a media generated scandal. When one considers the ongoing never ending scandal of trump and friends it makes what Northan did some 20 years ago look like the prank of a first grader. We Democrats don't need to have everyone pass the Mother Theresa purity test. His accomplishments speak for themselves.
20
Everybody knows liberals in blackface get a pass, LOL. Northam, Trudeau, etc.
7
Thanks to a decent man and a sensible electorate for giving Virginia moderate government.
Thanks to Governor Northam for not yielding to the howling mobs of the Politically Correct and the "Woke".
Hopefully those mobs will learn something:
1) That they are the mirror image of the Tea Party and the "Freedom Caucus", and
2) America overwhelmingly rejects both extremes.
Dan Kravitz
6
As a Virginian, it comes down to who do you want to govern?! While I'm not happy about the blackface(doesn't anyone vet these people?), he's been acceptably quiet and focused on governing. Do I ever want to see him or Justin Fairfax in power again-no. But if it's a choice between him and the Republicans who side with Trump, it's Northam.
7
If this guy were a republican he would have been tarred and feathered. Like the late Sen Byrd of WV who was in the Ku Klux Clan and remained in the senate as a "proud democrat". The double standard is alive and well.
8
@baba ganoush
So why is Kay Ivey still governor of Alabama? Have you demanded her resignation yet?
2
I think the allegation would have had a lot more bite if the events hadn't occurred 30 years ago. I think voters understand that both people personally and society as a whole have changed over the last 30 years. White people's awareness of the insult of blackface is far greater now than it was then. And, for that reason, voters cut the Governor some slack.
10
Funny how Black folks were willing to forgive him more than other folks.Now he has to prove their forgiveness was appreciated. Not a bad position to be in if your a person of color in Virginia.
7
“‘I kind of forgot about the blackface until you brought it up just now,’ [said] Tanisha Kelly, an adviser at a group home in the Richmond suburbs...”
—————
And there you have it.
5
Great! For once, the Democratic circular firing squad mis-fired. And we have a progressive, effective, governor in Virginia. Democrats, please learn something from this and stop with the purity tests.
26
This is the beginning of the end for Republican hegemony in the South and Southwest. Georgia, Texas, Arizona are soon to turn Democratic. Hallelujah!
14
@Silvio Frank Yes. Democrat racism is alive and well. Good job.
2
It also helps that Northam is term limited and cannot run for re-election. This means he had an incentive to focus immediately on his legacy as governor and worry about the policies he wanted to pass rather than the politics of a re-election campaign. It also gives voters an incentive to be more forgiving since his popular policies were on the ballot and not his unpopular conduct. Lastly, this shows that the GOP is rapidly losing the votes of suburban families all over the country which used to be its base. Suburban KY districts once solidly GOP voted for Beshear too.
8
Good for him. I Wish Al Franken had done the same. This left-leaning lynch mob mentality has to be checked, and this was the first check, trying people in the court of public opinion is a dangerous thing.
13
Media focus has to stick with the issues, Northam did something racist, it was not racist like Gerrymandering it was stupid and hurtful but it did not repress and subjugate the children of Slaves and repeat the pain they have suffered for 400 years.
Please end false equivalence, it is destroying America and allowing non issues to dominate.
7
I'm against removing Confederate statues. You can't erase history, no matter how offensive it is.
A better solution would be to keep the existing statues and make new ones — of Harriet Tubman, for example — in the same park. Let people learn that slavery didn't just disappear — there was a struggle.
5
The whole issue for the governor was making a mountain out of a mole hill. I am sure it costs some votes as expected, but not enough to make a difference. For those in close elections where 1 or 2 % make a difference, then that could be the touch of death.
1
Completely agree with many of the comments that may be summed up by the wisdom that says 'throwing out the good in search of the perfect' is never a winning strategy. Who among us has not done something in their youth that they truly regret and wish they could have back? Northam is a great example of that and the people of Virginia are absolutely smart enough to recognize it. Good for them!
15
And Joe Morrissey, twice disbarred lawyer convicted of having sex with his underage employee, with a more convoluted history in the Virginia legislature than one can imagine, was elected to the state Senate as part of the Democratic wave that took hold in Richmond.
7
Oh the hypocrisy of the left... Al Franken had to resign [the photo of his "mock grab" was part of the act they performed, there was context behind the photo but the #MeToo Boo Hoo'ers wanted their pound of flesh] and a Governor in Black Face gets a pass..
I am voting for Trump in 2020 out to Spite neo-leftists.
8
Al Franken didn’t HAVE to resign. He did it, stupidly IMO, of his own volition.
3
@Aaron I'm glad you are voting to continue the chaos and. insanity of the last 3 years just to own the libs. No way that will backfire.
3
@Aaron California is a democratic state and you can vote whatever way you like but all the votes will be given to the Democrat.
Wow, he wore black face and survived, he must be a Democrat.
Only a Republican would not have been able to survive the selective outrage of the left wing media.
14
@P McGrath
Kay Ivey is still governor of Alabama. Where is your outrage for her?
What democrats call "a long ago mistake" is such only if committed by democrats, for republicans no hope of such clemency !
Be careful democrats: black people see your behavior towards them and can judge you....
7
If you have a (D) after your name, you can do just about anything and the left will forgive you. If you have an (R) after your name, you can do nothing right and a stupid offense from your youth will destroy your career. Two sets of rules as always.
9
Everyone has, at one time or another, said or done something they wish they hadn't. That's why we have statutes of limitation.
Blackface thirty-five years ago is infinitely preferable to orangeface today.
1
There's nothing heroic about this story. Northam should have resigned, but Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax who would have succeeded him is facing multiple allegations of rape and sexual assault. The third in line, Mark Herring, was also facing a blackface scandal of his own. If all three had to step down, it was likely a Republican would assume the governorship. It was simple, ugly, power politics.
8
@Arctic Vista
How long did it take the Republicans to dig all of that up?
Based upon the fact that Northam and Justin Trudeau both got re-elected, Al Franken should of never resigned. He was one of the Democrats best up and coming Senators. His own state should of voted whether to re-elect him or not, not the Democratic Party.
Al Franken for President
12
I guess a stupid, long ago act by a young college student was more important in The NYT newsroom than it was in the State of Virginia.
14
Why are democrats the only ones who are supposed to apologize and or resign. They are expected to lower their heads and wallow in the walk of shame. If Trump had a picture of himself in black face while he was a student, he would laugh it off and his mentally-challenged base would show up at his rallies in black face to show support. We all know that black face is wrong, but kids and young adults do stupid things and shouldn't have to suffer from their youthful stupidity well in their adulthood.
8
As a left-wing-liberal-democrat, I called for Northam's resignation nine months ago.
My party ignored me.
I am still demanding that this clueless pathetic joke of a governor, resign immediately.
"Maintaining Power At All Costs", is something that is the hallmark of the Republican-Right-Wing-Network.
I've been voting against them since the days of Nixon, and it's not what I want my Democratic Party to emulate.
3
@John Doe
Virginia is now poised to:
Approve the ERA
Expand Medicare
Support the ACA
Improve voting rights
Guarantee women's reproductive choices
Support worker's rights
Strengthen public education
Strengthen state environmental regulations
The people of Virginia whose lives will be improved with the above won't much care about the indiscretions of a college student that took place 30 years ago.
14
@John Doe I'm not happy about it either but if we can pass gun laws, ERA and Medicare, I'm willing to let him stay for another year and then hopefully never hear about him or Fairfax again.
2
@Philip K
Wow.
Gee, you're right Philip K.
None of those great achievements could have been achieved, without Ralph Northam in the Governor's office.
Even though that he's a clueless pathetic joke of a governor, at least he's not a Republican.
And "Maintaining Power" is more important, than having an honorable political representative.
Well said, Philip K.
Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, and Cory Booker immediately called for Governor Northam's resignation in February. Now they have egg on their faces. They jumped on the stupidity bandwagon. Begone, you three!
18
@sonofzeppo
Mr Northam evidently mended fences.
1
The Governor got a pass because he is a liberal Democrat which reflects the changing political make-up of Northern Virginia. If he were a Republican, the NY Times , the Washington Post and the national media would have hounded him out of office---pure and simple. The standard for sin is much lower when the sinner's political views are more in-line with liberals.
11
You people have become identical with the forever bullying and transgressions of the internet you reported on this past weekend with respect to victims of internet crimes. No story you champion ever goes away, there is no purpose in bringing this up now except to rejuvenate your charges and demands against Governor Northam. One needs to question whether or not you should report on internet transgressions at all if you are going to be part of the problem.
Throughout the whole controversy this article resurrects, opinion among African-Americans in Virginia failed to match that of your all millennial all advocacy cancel-culture journalists.
Let it drop.
7
Agree. This is standard NYT practice. It is in the grand muckraking tradition. Like Hillary’s emails, this story has not been fully mined by these guys. It will never drop.
2
Virginians looked at Trump’s racist behavior and gave him 10
Then looked at Virginian Governor. They probably gave him 2.
Republicans look at their interest in voting.
Dems need to do exactly the same
1
In this case, voters were not stupid. They realized that the political principles and values of the candidate and the party are what matters -- not a long-ago mistake made by a student.
Northam made a racist gesture 30 years ago, but the GOP agenda is actively racist, seeking to disenfranchise black voters and roll back civil rights even as I write.
128
@Dr. J. If people had to go back 30 years and defend whatever stupid thing they did in their youth, we wouldn't have any political candidates left.
27
@Dr. J. Progressives need to tell us what the statute of limitations is for stupid things we did as teenagers or college students. Is it 30 years or do we need to be shunned and ostracized for life? This is why leftist zealots will NEVER get any traction in this country.
19
@Wally Wolf Yes, most of us have something foolish and indefensible and racist in our backgrounds as young adults. Probably not nearly as reprehensible as the mountain of things which Donald Trump has in his background even in late adulthood and old age. The mystery is how can he get away with it. We could not.
14
If he were a Republican it would have been the lead story (outside of Russia and Ukraine) in the mainstream media since it was uncovered. Democrat? Free pass.
9
@Erik So you think Mr Trump is a Democrat?
3
@Friend of a friend
Trump always was a Democrat.
Dems have moved so far left they don’t see the Kennedy Democrat currently in the WH.
1
Maybe most voters didn't think there was all that much to bounce from. It was a stupid photo, but one from long ago when norms were much different than today.
6
@Thomas While I agree I would have voted for him too given the choices, I was in college the same time as Northam, and most people then on campus would have known not to do something so stupid. It was thirty years ago, not 130 for christ's sake.
Ralph Northam is still the governor of Virginia because after an initial knee-jerk over-reaction to news that 35 years ago he allegedly had posed for a picture with his face blackened, cooler heads prevailed and the public soon realized that the whole episode was overblown and in the larger scheme of things simply did not matter. The only thing "unlikely" about his supposed "rebirth" is that he was able to overcome the pc hysteria that too often raises its ugly head.
10
Yet another NYT article that focuses on the problem of 'blackface' rather than on details of Northam's very logical agenda (which, not surprisingly, wins him support locally). Liberal media are like a lizard eating its own tail - they don't even realize that the tail has already been ingested and they are in fact getting closer to eating their own head.
11
I had used circular firing squad to describe the way many Dems and progressives turn on each other. I think NYT is just so afraid of being accused of liberal bias, they overreach to the point of malpractice making sure they “call out” any Democratic offense. The image of a lizard eating its tail is priceless.
3
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/09/us/politics/virginia-elections-democrats-republicans.html?searchResultPosition=12
Let’s connect the dots:
Virginia politics turns blue on immigrants in Northern Va counties, in which most of population works directly or indirectly for the government.
NYTimes articles above features new Indian and Korean voters who help turn the electoral tide.
Perhaps these new voters are less concerned about racist and sexist behaviors of current state leaders.
Careful what you wish for...
1
Actually, most of the calls for Northam's resignation came from outside Virginia. For example, from "all Male Democrats must resign" Gillibrand and Rebecca Traister.
7
There sure are a lot of Republicans that just "rediscovered" ethics and principle posting here.
7
I don’t think he bounced back. I think the furor over the blackface was manufactured by the media and the calls for resignation were excessive. The public understands that people do stupid things and that they’re capable of change. I’m glad people looked at the substance of who was running, not the person he was.
114
@Eugene
Not so with Al Franken.
4
Whether due to pure political calculations or a genuine ethical awakening, the scandal (not the earlier events) led to a political irony- a greater effort to address the evils of racism. Life is complicated.
2
Someone once asked the question: "Is there any among us who has not sinned?" Looks like Virginians recognize that, through good works, people can redeem themselves for long-past hurtful actions. That could be a lesson for all of us who demand life-long purity in public servants.
75
@D. E. Harris
Yeah? I never danced in black face or, perhaps more to the point where I grew up, dressed as a Latino for any party or holiday.
I’m not pure, but I do have empathy and treat ‘others’ with the dignity they deserve.
3
@D. E. Harris
People can change however there is some serious parenting issues alive and well here that so many white men and women believed that minorities are inferior and should be made fun of.
The south did lose the war but have handled themselves as if victory was there's. As a matter of course H.W. Griffith Birth of the Nation is a movie full of racial stereotypes and hate. American hate extended to Jim Crow. lynching ,imprisonment, segregated military service, Woodrow Wilson and the government policies go on.
The Governor did a horrible act as did the other individuals who were identified, it is up to him to change the course of racial history by now ensuring the right behavior is exhibited all the time.
This was not a victimless activity that he was engaged in flaunting his privileged whiteness and then pretending he didnt remember. He destroyed peoples trust and that has to be gained all over again and that takes time.
Unfortunately the GOP is nothing but a party of bigots who will never change and the people would not be so forgiving if it were a GOP governor.
1
@Ph Hi, Ph - - Sixty years ago when I graduated from college, I was, in many quarters, considered among the "others" because of my Jewish faith. Since then, many of the folks who I then knew have evolved in their attitudes, and I very much enjoy their company and mutual respect. At that time, I harbored attitudes toward African-Americans, women, and people who haven't had the same educational opportunities that I was lucky enough to enjoy, which today fill me with shame. Life is certainly a growth process, and I revel in the relationships that I have formed with folks that in my earlier life I would never have had. I am happy that you look on all people with the dignity and respect they deserve. Good job, that you have never been cursed with feelings of bigotry. I believe that my children and grandchildren are likewise free of that curse. Humanity is on the right track.
4
If only Sen. Al Franken had been given the opportunity at redemption that was afforded governor Northam.
31
Democrats cannot be the party of unilateral disarmament. That is a recipe for electoral disaster and complete irrelevance. We need to learn how to fight back, and fight back hard, or we will continue to be absolutely trampled by Republicans at all levels.
At what point will national Democrats grow a backbone?
6
The hypocrisy and feigned outrage of the left are duly noted. And this from those that tore down statues of Confederate heroes because of their implied symbolism. That's rich. Misogyny and racism are now allowed/excused as long as their practiced by "liberal" politicians who support gun control, teachers unions, higher taxes on productive individuals and the entire leftist agenda. The next time a conservative/independant is charged with racism or misogyny or a "me-too" violation we can put their pictures up, side by side with the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
12
@Toni
Had you paid attention at the time, and to this article, you would see that A) "Democrats at every stratum called for him to resign."
B) This incident came out after the election.
Neither of these is so with President Trump for instance.
1
@Toni
I'm a black person. What he did was wrong and inexcusable. Your defense of statues put up explicitly to terrorize black people is equally disgusting. Look up the timing of when these statues were created.
1
Justin Trudeau, there’s hope for you!
5
Nice to see double standards well in tact.
9
Too bad he didn't just say "yup, I did it when I was young and dumb, it was stupid, and I apologize from the bottom of my heart for something that i now know is wrong. But I am not going to resign over this matter. My record speaks for itself." To me that would have been the right answer.
I thought Justin Trudeau dealt with his problem a bit more gracefully.
6
The outrage against Northam's "black-face" was temporal, in the end, it didn't matter at all.
4
What double standard?
1
I wish Al Franken had had the benefit of seeing Gov Northam's response and not gone running at the first "snowflake" that dropped on his nose.
34
"Defying calls to resign by the Democratic caucuses in the House of Delegates and State Senate in February, the governor vowed to dedicate the rest of his term to fighting racial inequity."
-and he is apparently walking the walk!
Kudos to Northam and the State of Virginia
11
The Virginia voters did not know about Ralph Northam's black face year book photos before the last election in which he won. Would it have made a difference in the outcome of the election? Maybe. We do not really know. We only know that the liberals would have demanded the Republican candidate resign if the situation was reversed. And the other two law makers who were allowed to remain? Again, the liberals would have called for their resignation and they would have complied. This is the height of hypocrisy.
I hope the Republicans put up some really good candidates in the next election and take back the state. This is important for the future of Virginia and the country. Conservative groups need to give campaign contributions as has the liberals. They need to open up their pocketbooks and give to this very worthy cause. It can make a difference along with getting out the vote by canvassing the neighborhoods. This is so important for the future of democracy.
5
@KMW
If you can win without the gerrymandering, and voter suppression, then you should.
4
People can atone for their mistakes. Governing well for all the people of Virginia is a form of atonement in my opinion.
22
Anybody remember Gary Condit ?
The television satellite trucks were parked out in front of his house. The intern, Chandra Levy, was missing. He had had an affair with her. The summer of 2001. People were still thinking about Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.
And then in September, two planes took out the World Trade Center towers in NY.
The satellite trucks left his house... and went elsewhere.
Gary Condit was forgotten about.
3
While the photo was very disappointing, and his handling of the incident bizarre, I think the way that he's lived and governed since then is more important.
So for those who cry whataboutism, and call Democrats hypocrites, let's say this-this picture came out AFTER he was elected. Trump was a crook before the election, during, and continues as such. And still has adorers!
30
@LFK It was also the way he he governed BEFORE the photo came out. Hundreds of thousands of Virginians finally got health insurance through Medicaid expansion because of his leadership.
Maybe the voters in Virginia realized that although Mr. Northam participated in something that was extremely regrettable as a young man, it is his party and his current leadership, that will enact policies to make the lives of minority citizens (along with everyone else) better. If nothing else, perhaps Democrats have learned this from the Trump era - you need to swallow a bit of swill and look at the big picture. What activists do need to recognize is their agenda will go absolutely no place with the GOP in controll.
25
This is Northam’s chance to leave a meaningful, lasting legacy of which his progeny can be proud. As one of our first States and birthplaces of Freedom, Virginia can, and should, live up to its roots.
All Northampton has to do is keep his Democratic majority united and focused on present problems like intelligent gun control, abolition of racism, development of rural areas to insure employment into the future, health care for Virginians and stopping the onslaught of Trump and his destroyers. If they do a great job, and they certainly can set a wonderful example for other recalcitrant States, Northampton will have a revered chapter in future history books.
11
Alas what could have happened if Northam was a Republican Governor.
6
@Ravi
Exactly nothing would have happened.
8
Nothing. Republicans wouldn't have even blinked, and he would have stayed in power with no consequences.
12
@Ravi You obviously don't pay attention to Republican politics.
3
I am sickened every time I see Northam. For once I support the "one and done" gubernatorial terms in Virginia. It will be good riddance when he is gone.
5
While I respect the comments made regarding this article, I do wonder if a Republican appeared in blackface, if they would have been as forgiving. I doubt it. I'm just tired of the double standards and rationale that people use to justify their choices. This is why I am a registered Independent and choose by the individual and his/her policies, NOT the party!
14
Republicans would have been even more forgiving, so there would have been less of a scandal. Republicans are fine with Trump saying white supremacists have very fine people in their ranks. This scandal would have been in the news for less than three days if Northam had been a Republican.
12
@Diane Steiner
Republicans would have said it was no big deal, even with a long legislative history of opposing civil rights bills. This was one mistake, against a long legislative history of doing the right thing with regards to civil rights.
I don't honestly believe people are unable to see the difference.
2
@Diane Steiner
I'm a registered Democrat and vote for person not party. Don't assume we're all that different from you. Smugness gets us nowhere.
1
First of all. NOTHING will ever change or take away from the fact that Gov. Northam's picture in Blackface is an insult to all African-Americans, no matter how long ago it was taken. PERIOD.
But if he and Virginia's Democrats can now work together in spite of it, not only will it help to heal the state's divides, but maybe even help the rest of the nation to do the same.
10
@N. Smith
You are one of the few people who gets it. What he did was abominable. Just because many white people engaged in this action does not make it any less benign. Stop referring to this matter as a minor one because you are not affected by it. It's incredibly rude.
This goes to show you how unprincipled progressives are. The same people who protested the removal of confederate statues will forgive the governor for wearing black face and even reward him with control of the government. This had everything to do with power. They will forgive the blackface, but now he must deliver on the progressive agenda. The next time the progressives outrage over something a conservative does ignore it, because they only care about seizing power. Even the attorney general was involved in a sexual abuse accusation but he was all but forgotten and forgiven. Just remember, progressives do not have principles.
9
Maybe this ushers in a new mood of forgiveness for the past, emphasizing things we hold in common, Virginia may be the birth of new generation! I love Virginia, it is so colorful in the Fall!
And yes, I miss Al Franken. How sad that the Dems did that to one of our own.
19
@Bill Evans
lol. black people have been forgiving since the beginning of this country. and white people are more than happy to forgive racism. this does not reflect anything.
Thank you for this very well written and informative article. So glad Virginia put the needs of their state first and stayed with the democratic governor. Smart and productive progressive leadership.
98
@Rain
That's certainly one way to look at it. Rationalization always seems like such an easy course.
2
@Rain LOL! As if the result would have been the same if Northam had been a Republican. The hypocrisy & inconsistency is hilarious & tragic, all at once.
1
@SL What hypocrisy?!? The left were demanding that the governor resign and he was a Democrat. Though you do know that an official can’t be forced to resign, but that must resign on their own behalf? And are you telling me that if a governor of a ruby red state would lose support and need to resign if the same picture had shown up? Please, take your claims of hypocrisy and look in the mirror.
8
Due to gerrymandering, Virginians have not been represented in Richmond for years. Finally, when the courts ruled the districts unconstitutional, the truth came out in this election. It is sad that the Republican Party in Virginia illegally denied representation to millions of Virginians for so many years. Finally, we can now do the right thing going forward - No to the statues, Yes to the environment, healthcare and a living wage. Now you will see why we elected Ralph Northam.
174
@Hah!
Yeah, as gas leaks and toxins kill the Appalachian Trail and the waters of western Virginia. You don't think what passes for a "living wage" and "healthcare" won't also be cleared through Dominion Power first?
3
@Doc Of course it will! We Virginians know that all laws pass through Dom Power first!
2
I'm glad virginia voters focused on what's really important (health equity, equal rights, gun restrictions) rather than an old photo that of course Northam regretted.
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@Tony
More than "regretted":
"Northam held a press conference ... in which he publicly denied that he was either of the men in the photo"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Northam#Yearbook_controversies
1
@Polaris
And so, you believe him; that exonerates him?
@Ph
I suggested nothing whatsoever about my beliefs. I have nothing to base any beliefs upon, as I have no first-hand information. I'm merely pointing out that Tony's comment mischaracterizes what Northam said.
1
Sounds like Virginia voters focused on what was important, which was throwing Republicans out of office. Good for them; let's keep this trend going nationwide.
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@Pat
Reading this article at once reminded me of Al Franken who should have never quit and right now would be running for president.
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@Uncleluie
Exactly correct. A Republican in Franken's position would never have resigned and would have just shrugged and toughed it out knowing that the public has a short memory. Especially with what Franken was accused of, which was really nothing more than sophomoric bad judgment.
11
So Republicans have to deal with Democrats now in Virginia. Wonder how that is going to transpire after 26 years of Republican compromises. Or lack of . Virginia will prosper under Democrats. Good luck Virginia!
16
My thought at the time re: Northam blackface was, "Just ride it out. Two weeks from now there will be another, worse scandal for the media to feast on." I said the same about Al Franken; unfortunately, he did not take my advice.
I know that anyone today would think that putting on blackface would be a shameful act. But remember the movies "Silver Streak," "Soul Man," and "Trading Places" from the 1980s? The great Richard Pryor apparently had no problem appearing side-by-side with the great Gene Wilder in blackface. If it was okay with Mr. Pryor, it was okay with me. Obviously, things are different today. That's why we have to be careful about judging people's behavior from decades ago.
As recently as 2004, the Wayans brothers made a movie, "Two White Chicks," where they appeared in whiteface. Yes, I know "whiteface" does not have the loaded history of blackface. My point is, all the above were comedic artistic choices that served the narrative of the film.
So in 2020, let's all appear in Blueface!
12
@Miss Dovey But if he were a republican you would have judges his character from decades ago, “Trading Places” or not.
That’s what makes Democrats hypocrites. You alter the narrative according to political party.
4
@Andy Pot meet kettle.
2
When the scandal with Ralph Northam came out, the three groups calling for him to resign seemed to be Twitter activists, NAACP leaders, and white liberals following their lead. I was dismayed when I heard Elizabeth Warren and Nancy Pelosi were calling for his resignation. The only group that seemed to be talking sense at the time were black columnists who compared Ralph Northam to other progressive leaders who'd said racially insensitive things, like Lyndon Johnson and Abraham Lincoln.
8
All Democrats should learn from this. It's better to fight than fold. We need you.
Yes, Al Franken and Katie Hill, I'm talking to you, among others. You are on the sidelines affecting nothing when you should be right in the middle of this existential fight for our country's future.
Stacy Abrams. Beto. Others. Enough of your soul searching. Serve your country. Now would be a good time and you can do it by running for office, not writing books.
19
I think Gov. Northam handled this problem rather well over the last nine months, but there were two other factors that saved him from having to resign.
First, this was a comparatively minor incident thirty five years ago. It was offensive, but nobody got directly hurt, and it wasn't years of repeated offensive actions.
Second, pragmatism required overlooking this incident. The alternative to having Gov. Northam stay on would be having a Republican take his place. Republicans would definitely not support any cause beneficial to African-Americans, and would not support gun control, improved health care, freedom of choice on abortion, or anything else on the progressive agenda.
So while Gov. Northam made a big mistake thirty five years ago, I don't think it will continue to haunt him after this election. And I think Virginia is better off for it having gone this way.
44
Southwest Virginia will never support democrats and there ways. I like my freedom and 2nd amendment!! It's awful will have to deal with this upcoming deal of laws and gun restrictions..
6
@Jay
No on is coming to take your musket. Just your weapons of mass destruction.
35
@Jay
So LIMITED gun restriction, where you can still hunt and defend yourself is enough is to accept an authoritarian Fake Christian bully who will trash everything you love about the beautiful Virginia mountains and send your daughter to jail for exerting her right to reproductive self determination? While praising tyrants who oppose everything our Veterans fought for? And coal STILL won't come back? Seems like a raw deal to me.
18
@Jay
Well , Jay, you proved a point . A patriotic American would be proud of the democratic process. It is a shame on this holiday that Americans died for un-democratic Americans,too. Maybe even those who oppose due process as enumerated in the Constitution. I wish more people read it. But people like Senator Marsha Blackburn should read the Constitution & the Bible , instead of quoting Shakespeare & saying Jesus said it. But not reading allows you to make things up. Others not reading allows them to take lies & say they are the truth. Tired of people sticking fingers in their ears & singing “la-la-la “ as if they can ignore reality . Guns don’t kill , people do. So what’s the solution?
7
A good lesson to all. Don’t let the enemy of the perfect destroy the enemy of the good. Gov Northam will do much good for the majority of his state and
At the end of the day isn’t that what it’s
All about?
To all those that stayed home in 2016
Or couldn’t vote for her - do you like what you see today? Only your participation can stop this corrupt administration and the complicit republicans.
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@Deirdre
"Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good"
2
All that full throated self righteous indignation from all corners when the picture came out - until turning the other way was more convenient. It’s hypocrisy and a total compromise of the supposed values which so many use to claim the mantle of moral superiority over those with political differences.
What a corrupt bargain - the governor gets to to keep his office, announcing a full blown pandering/reconciliation tour for an aggrieved political class who will now do his bidding in his woke washing tour.
Northam can thank trump for his political fortune.
8
@Andy Deckman Must be nice to have never done something you look back on with deep embarrassment Andy. I know I have. We stop electing flawed people to office and we will no longer have a single person in office.
Northam's political history is far more important than any harmless, silly thing he did before it started.
5
While I agree that Northam's shadow may not have been welcome, it is important to remember that he was not on the ballot.
Moreover, Virginians are just as sick as most of the rest of the country and just wanted to throw out the feckless Republicans lock, stock, and barrell.
In that sense Northam's low key waiting game played out well for him, for Virginia and the country.
22
Concerning the governor’s black face photo. I feel it was done thoughtlessly, but without malice, and that’s why he is back in the governors seat. Al Franklin should step back into the political arena. Kirsten Gilibrand’s hysterics are over, and so is she. Al come back to govern.
98
Al would be a great addition to the Cabinet of whomever becomes President in 2021.
6
@David J
Gilibrand over played her hand like Kamala Harris with Biden. Our good old boy system makes it much harder for women to be combative but in Glibrand's case I'm okay with her being a "has been".
3
The population of Virginia is a microcosm of the United States. Governor Northam can alienate the majority of voters in western half of the state or he can find ways to bring them over and truly turn the entire state blue.
5
What about the in-state efforts to end gerrymandering? Hope to see some progress there, too.
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@Chris in Paris, YES! The anti gerrymandering initiative is very strong in Va. Thanks for making this point.
15
Suburban voters are not punishing Republicans just because of Trump. They also are punishing Republicans for their blind support of Trump and their anti-democratic policies.
206
Ralph Northam should never have been a pariah. A 35 year-old photo, taken when the social mores were different than today, should never have been elevated to the level of a disqualifying incident.
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@DABman
Eh. What he did was blatantly wrong. Don't try to be intentionally ignorant so you can sleep at night. However, what he's doing today matters MORE. Black voters were willing to forgive. So, do not confuse their willingness to forgive as measure of Northam's actions, but rather a reflection on their generosity and keen survival skills honed over centuries of exploitation.
5
I think in Virginia the choice came down to having either:
- A Democratic governor, who once dressed in blackface, and who would actively work to expand voting, health and LGBT rights, or
- A Republican governor, who never dressed in blackface, and who would actively work to destroy voting, health and LGBT rights.
The blackface incident was extremely regrettable; however, I still know which choice I would make.
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@James Fennell
Good choice, James.
"The scandalous events of February that drew intense media attention played no apparent role in dampening enthusiasm for Democratic candidates on Election Day, as the party once feared."
The Democrats really need to see the bigger picture and stop acting like Pharisees, who used the letter of the law to condemn Jesus and would have prevented him from healing the sick on the Sabbath.
Given the context of the situation, the blackface incident, though insensitive by today's standards, turned out not to be the "scandalous event" some Democrats -- even some now running for president -- wanted it to be to be in February.
The governor hung in there and now is in a position to make substantive changes for a better Virginia ... yet there are probably some in the finger-wagging wing of the Democratic party who would have had Northam resign as a matter of conscience.
What a Pyrrhic victory that would have been.
Let's hope and pray that this recent election serves as a lesson to all those holier-than-thou Democrats, who deserve Jesus's rebuke to the Pharisees, who "have strained out the gnat but swallowed a camel."
Democrats: Please get real, lay off unnecessary media-whippings, and above all get it together to defeat DJT.
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@Gluscabi You are right. Well said. Now let's hope people listen.
4
Democrats are redrawing district lines in a pivotal state that is solidly blue now and are advancing their agenda to measurably improve the lives of their citizens. And you still don’t know what choice you would have made???
I am at a loss for words.
2
This is a great example of the black caucus and voters in Virginia prioritizing real world political results over performative Wokeness. As bad as Northam’s blackface was, they realized that: 1) Republicans have basically enshrined disenfranchising black voters in their policy platform. Removing the top Democratic leadership for a Republican one would be political suicide; 2) They now have leverage over pressuring Northam to advance issues important to them such as removing Confederate statues and increasing funding to HBCUs.
The lesson for the Woke Twitter crowd: Hard-nosed political calculations (and compromises) that lead to real world changes beats ideological Litmus tests any day, especially when insisting on ideological Puritanism cripples your own political voice and strengthens your enemies.
The lesson for Republicans: Black voters (and others) see right through your commitment to gerrymandering and other political shenanigans to disenfranchise them. To the Republican quoted in the article who complained that black voters were willing to overlook Northam’s blackface for their own “self-interest,” you’re exactly right—black voters realize it’s political suicide to support any Republicans at all, so much so they’re willing to overlook a governor with a history of blackface. Instead of crying about hypocrisy, maybe you should look in the mirror and mull over how your party became so toxic in the first place.
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The first sentence of your comment perfectly captures the political conundrum liberals find themselves in.
3
@Scott
Exactly correct. "Performative wokeness" is an outstanding turn of phrase, and your second paragraph is something Democrats need to understand and accept.
9
Why was this “scandalous?” Yes, going blackface is wrong, but only the “woke” wing of the left tried to hold him accountable for an incident that occurred almost 35 years ago. As our great former President remarked, they need to get over their self-righteous attitude.
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@Wiley Dog
Maybe we should all adopt Trump's narcissistic, self-righteous attitude since you think it's a wonderful thing to scream to the world.
@T3D I said "former President" as in President Obama who made the comment.
19
Not knowing the truth of the situation, any more than I know the truth of the Al Franken or Katie Hill situations, all I can say is how it looks to me.
It looks to me like Justin Fairfax assaulted those women, and got away with it because he could claim that he was being unfairly scrutinized while two white men were allowed to get away with having worn blackface. So, Northam gets away with it as well.
And there you have it; all of our supposed concern about these crimes and transgressions goes out the window when political power is at stake. See also: crimes and transgressions of Donald Trump.
6
It sure is a sad day in America when we write articles embracing a centrist who may have posed as a Klansman while in medical school.
We’ve really let Republicans drag us that low?
5
@Tim S.
Republicans and Fox News excel at making their base feel victimized, especially when they're not.
1
“…Democrats at every stratum in Virginia called on Gov. Ralph Northam to resign…”
Except, you know, the actual, you know, electorate.
You need to stop treating elections like whims and report the real story: just as Republicans suppress the vote before it happens, Democratic leaders think nothing of suppressing it AFTER it happens by trying to overturn the results of certified elections. They didn’t like this guy and used the NYT to try to get him out.
Every state has recall, right? That’s how to remove a democratically elected leader who hasn’t committed an actual crime, not just an affront.
19
@Angelus Ravenscroft grr. Has not hasn’t.
1
@Angelus Ravenscroft and no, I was right the first time. nevermind.
1
Just think. Virginia could have had Ken Cuccineli for its Governor. If you think appearing in black face 30 years ago is bad, how about a man who wants to send children from other countries with severe medical conditions back to their countries to die. Cuccineli with 6 kids of his own is mostly concerned with limiting women's access to life saving medical procedures and now we find out he doesn't care about kids from other countries either. What a hypocrite.
102
@Denise Pierce So apt that he ended up working for Trump.
Good news!
5
If Trump can seem to avoid and move pass any of his countless scandals, many worse than Governor Northam's blackface photo, Governor Northam can move pass this scandal. He's a lot better than previous Governor McDonnell receiving illegal gifts during his governorship.
7
Yes, Northam is better than a Republican in many ways. but he is a lot like them in his support for an ecologically destructive pipeline that will export gas for Dominion Powers profit at the expense of of landowners screwed by "Eminent Domain" (seizing one guys land to make another richer) and anyone who cares about Virginia's beautiful lands. In thrall to Dominion Power and the money. Shame.
7
This story has many encouraging aspects for the future of our country's unity and democracy. People make mistakes as they go through life, some egregious and others symbolic but hurtful. To hear Northam's agenda for correcting Virginia's historical mistakes and making it better for its inhabitants, I hope it is a bellwether for the rest of our troubled country.
Now if Northam could just put climate change mitigation at the top of his to do list. I wish Northam the best of outcomes.
36
@A Goldstein There is much more environmental destruction coming out of China and India than the state of Virginia. Maybe you people can make mention of that fact once in a blue moon.
3