Democrat Governor Ralph Northam Refuses To Resign After Racist Photo Emerges
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Amid calls from an increasing number of political figures and organizations to step down, embattled Virginia Democratic Governor Ralph Northam refused to resign in a message he delivered to the public on Friday night as the blowback from his racist KKK and blackface photo continued to gain momentum.
"My fellow Virginians, earlier today I released a statement apologizing for behavior in my past that falls far short of the standard you set for me when you elected me to be your governor," Northam said. "I believe you deserve to hear directly from me."
"I am committed to continuing that fight through the remainder of my term and living up to the expectations you set for me when you elected me to serve," Northam said in a video
The photo, from Northam's 1984 yearbook at Eastern Virginia Medical School, became public early Friday afternoon after multiple media outlets reported on it.
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He will be gone in 24 hours or less, maybe as we speak.
Uh, no.
He's history and good riddance.
Political Correctness run amuck. I didn't vote for him but don't think he should quit, mostly because I'm tired of people digging up old stuff people did years ago.
He knew this was out there and somebody was waiting for time to spring it. Northern should have been prepared and maybe brought it out himself
I tend to agree with that.
Something done 30+ years ago--just like in the Kavanaugh hearings---is old news. Are we assuming that people don't change over time?
It will be interesting to see comments here, though, especially in light of what his quote in the yearbook was---"there are more old drunks than old doctors in this world, so I think I'll have another beer".
I do like that quote, In fact I am going to follow Doctor's orders right now
LMAO!
It was the 1980s, not the 1950s, he was 25..... he should have known better. There were other "Cool" costumes he and his buddy could have come up with back then.
You are accountable for everything you do in life. And no..... Kavanaugh should never have been nominated nor confirmed for his past.
Absolutely correct!
If that was the "go to" costume, it was also the "go to" attitude.
Life has consequences for your actions.
He should own up and resign. Not because he did this but because he did this and didn't come forward with it in the first place. Either way he was taking a risk. He gambled wrong.
Time to go.
I don't hold things against people their entire lives.
When we are young, sometimes we do things we wouldn't dream of doing when we are 40.
But I would like to know how this affects his job performance in any way.
He had no past except as a well respected judge. Anything else was demonstrated to be liberal slander.
What I would like to know (being one of the yearbook editors) is who allowed this in the yearbook? Yikes! Nice High School.
"Northam's 1984 yearbook at Eastern Virginia Medical School," from article
yearbook editors of a medical school were happy with it in 1984
There were only 40 people in his graduating class.
It might serve Democrats right for political correctness to take out one of their rising stars. But if everybody who ever did something that was accepted years ago but then somebody later said is bad now is taken out, real assholes that never even farted in public will take over
Well, maybe the media isn't as bias as some think they are. I think that there are still honest news agencies out there.
Unfortunately, I have not been a big fan of the media lately.
But what about Fox News-- aren't they (unlike the "liberal media") reporting the facts? Aren't they the only ones to do so?
(Well, except for a few people of great character and integrity, such as Rush Limbaugh and Anne Coulter
It was his medical school. And sadly, it happens. I mentioned on another discussion that my senior yearbook has a pic of two of my classmates doing the Nazi salute, and it had to have been approved by the editor and yearbook advisor.
This was brought out now because of his resent statement on abortion. I'm sure somebody was just holding this for time that suited them
probably...
Lucky for him, he didn’t he mention a drinking game. Or, heaven forbid, a picture of him smirking.
The democrats would already have impeached and probably arrested him for that.
He did say he was going to have a beer
Me too.
"Imported Rolling Rock"
Well, it's imported in Texas.
Still cheaper than all of these micro breweries....
Beer makes everything better.
A beer summit !
"Nothing burps better than bacon." (Al Bundy)
If I were Northam I would not resign. Why should he? "I like beer" and "Do you blackout" qualifies for Supreme Court. Considering Charlottesville, Pittsburgh Synagogue shootings and all the rest, this is just another instance of another instance of another instance. And a minor one at that. "Grab em' by the puffy" slides. No big deal, right?
While I may not agree with the logic, I agree with the conclusion.
He should not resign.
But it's inevitably his decision, right or wrong;
just another car accident in super slow motion;
will the driver survive?
The others I alluded to did.
Things in the Virginia legislature are going to get interesting, it started in January and ends in February.
He was in high school, right? Is this really important? Kids play at stuff or dress in costumes all the time that they might not if they were older or led different lives. They don't get the gravity of a lot of things. I'm sure for the kids in this photo, the implications of their costumes were just not something they could relate to at the time.
There is always the chance that someone could be uncomfortable with someone's costume. We have to decide if we're going to get upset about or maybe realize it's just a costume.
Meanwhile, we have an almost 35 years of intervening history to examine. Does this guy have a record of being a racist? If not, maybe we could put a high school costume in its proper perspective.
Still not ok, you say? That's an opinion and one people are entitled to. I just see a costume. Very few people alive today have actually experienced blackface as it was known in the 19th century - or even Amos n Andy for that matter. Very few people alive today have been terrorized for real by KKK in white hoods. People also get in trouble for dressing like nazis, but they were defeated over 70 years ago now. That's a long time.
When will it be ok to dress up as those people so we can laugh at them? We do that with other people who terrified their contemporaries. People dress as Napoleon. As Jack the Ripper. As Genghis Khan. As Julius Caesar. You might find those irrelevant comparisons, but they each were notorious killers in their day. How about just classic executioner costumes?
How about this toddler dressed as a bong? (I'm guessing accompanied by Mother of the Year.)
No, it was his medical school year book and he was 25 years old at the time.
Meh. Either way. 25 is still young. And it's still just a costume. It's probably not a costume I would have chosen for myself, but I'm sure I've worn something else that made someone uncomfortable. I was Jesus once in my early 20s, complete with thorns on my head, holes in wrists and feet and lots of blood. I'm pretty sure one or two people didn't love that.
Another time my wife and I were zombies with lots of open sores, worms coming out of our faces, and so on. We scared a few toddlers pretty good who were trick or treating. I felt kinda bad, but I don't hate kids or worship the undead. It's just a costume.
Still, incomplete as far as frontal lobes go, maybe, maybe another year.
As I posited earlier. Once you start treating actual patients of different ethnicities, your outlook begins to change.
The formulas for preventing shock due to blood loss, low temperature trauma don't vary by skin color.
That's very sobering and maturing......
just suggesting that he changed a great deal after starting to practice military medicine...
OK where do you guys find this stuff. Do you google bong outfit for toddlers?
LOL. Thank God for the internet. You can find pretty much anything.
He was no high school kid back then. He was in medical school at the time.
Last week the Secretary of State of Florida resigned after photo of him in blackface became public.
Happy that he is no longer in public office in Florida.
Here is another one from Florida...
Ya know what?
I vehemently opposed DeSantis. Now, I'm not sure if he's pandering, or genuine yet but so far I'm liking the way he's handling things.
This picture should broaden Northam's re-electability by bringing in Trump supporters. He should stay the course because it's okay to be racists in today's America. [deleted]
Someone seems to have Trump on the brain.
But what does President Trump have to do with a governor who is demonstrating Democrat roots?
The pig Hillaryious Hillary has made more racist comments than Trump ever will.
agreed Kathleen
Don't fall for her trap Perrie.
First she sucks you in with an intelligent deduction...
Then....she whispers in your ear...begging you to declare your favorite ice cream.
By the time her influence wears off you are too fat to go vote and she and her cohorts move in for world domination!
OMG... Must....fight... the... urge......
Help me!
Yessss my caloric queeeen...your dish is my commannnnnd
You are good at these lighthearted polls.
"Bring me something deep fried and smothered in chocolate." (The Fairy Godmother...Shrek 2)
Northam will go because he’s expendable. A liberal democrat will replace him. National democrats don’t care about the Governor of Virginia. Were he a senator from a state with a Republican Governor, an apology would suffice.
How he could possibly think this would never come out...
I am surprised it took this long.
Like charger, I find the timing suspicious. It comes right after he was vilified and his words were taken out of context about late-term abortion. Somebody was striking while the iron was hot.
Wow you mean someone used a democrat tactic on him? say it isn't so.
Of course now he denies it was him.
I'm not aware that this is exclusively a Democratic tactic.
Yes, he's denying it. No, he shouldn't be. Of course, that's hardly a novel approach, either, is it?
Northam's words weren't taken out of context. He never referred to a "clump of cells" or a "fetus" and specifically stated infant more than once.
And many choose to believe that he advocates for abortion during labor or killing infants after birth.
He did not.
What do you think he meant when he said in the WTOP interview when he said:
He never condemned it. Period. Full stop.
I notice that you left out some key phrases, aka context:
Surely you're aware that, unfortunately, things can go wrong during pregnancy. Some of those things that can go wrong are incompatible with life. Sometimes, those things that go wrong are discovered late in the pregnancy, or perhaps even occur late in the pregnancy. And then some hard decisions have to be made, same as would happen if you or I were critically ill or injured and unlikely to survive without ongoing extreme measures.
He didn't say a fetus or infant would be aborted during labor. He said that if the mother's in labor, the infant would be delivered, kept comfortable, and resuscitated. That's not an abortion, and that's not killing the infant after birth, any more than discontinuing life support on a terminally ill adult is killing them.
And then what happens?
Read the rest of the quote.
I did.
What do you think it means?
Some families will choose extreme measures to prolong life, and some won't. You know that these are babies with severe health issues, right? Babies whose conditions make them unlikely to live without extraordinary measures to keep them breathing?
I have had patients die and the persons who have medical decision making for them had requested a DNR order (Do Not Resuscitate). As I worked in the Army Burn Center (San Antonio TX) at the time, we all understood why DNR orders were often used. When you have someone who is 80% burned, suffering systematic organ failure, and in so much pain that morphine is no more effective than if they took aspirin. We had one lovely gentleman who was epicenter to a bomb explosion. Although his injuries were severe, the doctors said that he would heal in time, it was like he inhaled all the heat generated by the explosion totally destroyed his lungs. Back then lung transplants were not done, so he would be on a respirator for the rest of his life. The rest of his story is long so I will save it for another time.
Just so.
Sometimes, letting our loved ones go is the most merciful thing we can do. It's one of the hardest decisions a family has to make for a loved one, but some, sadly, are forced to do so.
He's now claiming he's not in that photo and doesn't know why it's on his page in the yearbook.
The list calling for him to resign is getting longer and longer by the hour....
Last week, Michael Ertel, Florida’s secretary of state, resigned after the emergence of photos from 2005 of him in blackface, apparently mimicking victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Resigning is the only intelligent thing to do.....
If that were your true position then you'd be demanding Trump and his racists nationalist Administration all resign.
You have a double standard.
Sweets, when they show pics of T-rump in blackface, I will demonstrate my lack of a double standard....
(after puking my guts out)
Until then my dear....
That makes no sense to me NWM. You're saying that someone can be as verbally racists and institute racists policies as long as they do it in white face.......
(you walked right into that one.
)
Actually no I didn't.
As a libertarian, everyone is entitled to say whatever they wish. As repugnant many become with such freedom....
Putting on blackface (and acting like a ni**er) is an overt act and not speech in my opinion. (and most others opinions apparently) Identical situation to a black person putting on whiteface and acting like a cra**er......
No difference in my opinion....
The act belies the intent.....
I'm sorry that you can't understand the difference. I believe it is a fairly simple concept..... Free speech is wonderful until it becomes an actual act to disparage others.... No one has a right to do something to disparage others... T-rump hasn't got there yet..... Not too many democrats have either....
That's my opinion on the matter.....
Now we shall open the door and allow the haters their opinions.... (not you sweets, the rest of the maddening crowd)
You have got to be kidding. Puh-lease tell me you are pulling my leg to get a reaction. hahahahaha
TDS. There's no evidence of any racism in Trump's policies.
Is Trump the topic?
No one has a right to do something to disparage others... T-rump hasn't got there yet.
He got there the day he openly mocked a disabled reporter.
A very crass act, no doubt about that.......
The governor's act was also very crass. Until he put it in the yearbook, then it became an overt act.
There is a difference.....
You act like this is some criminal conspiracy.
Northam needs to step down.
I've agreed with that 100% so what's your problem?
TDS
TDS infects everything some people write, say and do.
Sad, isn't it?
What a bizarre thing to tweet. Coming from the pussy grabber in Chief, it basically admits that Democrats are the only party with scruples.
Do you want to a minor win over an old picture at the cost of taking one of your better players out?
I have not played chess for a long time but this seems like giving up the queen to save a pawn
This is getting more amusing that the saga of former VA Gov Bob McDonnell
This had me thinking of him, too. Virginia can't get a break with her governors.
Northam should stop digging, just resign. This is now, what is best for the Commonwealth of Virginia. I trust they will determine the next steps.
Forgive him? Ok, you can be forgiven and still own the consequences of your behavior. We do it with children every day😉 Northam has met his 'time out' moment.
These decades old picture "Framings" are getting a bit ridicules. I don't care who you are in the "City of Politics" ! It's just "STUPID" !
His "Lackadaisical" Radio comment on "Birthin them Babies to possibly killin' 'em later" was more Shocking to "ME" !
The Lt. governor is now accusing Governor Northam of planting the story of his alleged sexual assault with the media.
What a world.
The Lt. Governor shouldn't sweat this allegation at all. In fact, it's a requirement in order to hold office these days. Just ask the President.
Calm down. So what if he grabbed a little pussy here and there. The only thing he did wrong was not having a Cohen of his owen.
After he slaps on some white face he'll have Trump's merry band of rebels voting for him too. This little episode will boost his electability. He's halfway to the WH.
Who did worse the Gov or the Lt Gov?